The production of coal is cleaner now than it has been historically, but that doesn't mean it's clean.
Here's a look at the facts. CLAIM: "I call it beautiful, clean coal. I told my people, never use the word coal unless you put beautiful, clean before it." THE FACTS: Subscribe to the Compass newsletter. Fast Company's trending stories delivered to you daily Privacy Policy | Fast Company Newsletters Planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions from the coal industry have decreased over the past 30 years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Energy lobbyist Scott Segal said that "the relative statement that coal-fired electricity is cleaner than ever before is true, particularly when emissions are measured per unit of electricity produced." And yet, coal production worldwide still needs to be reduced sharply to address climate change, according to United Nations-backed research. Along with carbon dioxide, burning coal emits sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that contribute to acid rain, smog, and respiratory illnesses, according to the EIA. Over the past 15 years, the U.S. has seen a major shift from coal to natural gas for electricity use, a key reason U.S. carbon emissions have declined over that period. Coal once provided more than half of U.S. electricity production, but its share dropped to about 16% in 2023, down from about 45% as recently as 2010. Natural gas provides about 43% of U.S. electricity, with the remainder from nuclear energy and renewables such as wind, solar and hydropower. Energy Secretary Chris Wright acknowledged during his confirmation hearing in January that the burning of fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—causes climate change. That's because the combustion of fossil fuels is drastically increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, warming the planet. ___ TRUMP: "It's cheap, incredibly…