If the Canadian province of Ontario has its way, coal-burning power plants may soon be banned outright.
Shockingly, Canada has been one of the worst polluters in global history. The Albertan tar sands and TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline are just two instances of terrible environmental endeavors. Thankfully, Ontario is now trying to distinguish itself from terrible environmental decisions by considering an outright ban on coal-generated electricity.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Al Gore announced the proposed ban, which will be introduced by Monday and take effect in 2014 if passed. Wynne and her party, the Liberals, have been criticized for being wishy-washy, resulting in delayed projects. Critics point out that the ban was proposed and delayed twice in the past, and as a result, the construction of two gas power plants was cancelled.
In 2011, a Harvard study discovered that coal was costing approximately $500 billion a year in the US. The study set it at two to three times the previously stated price of roughly 9 cents per kWh, amounting to be 18 to 27 cents per kWh. Of course, this is in addition to the health consequences and havoc on the environment.
Regardless of where you live, coal has its costs: the sale price that the public sees, the subsidies or tax breaks the industry gets, and the cost of the damage caused.
