coal

In Afghanistan, coal mining relies on the labor of children

5:02am December 31, 2022

Since the return of the Taliban, Afghanistan's coal exports have increased — and so has child labor. At a coal mine in Baghlan province, boys earn between $3 and $8 for a day's work.

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The empty assembly line at the Duralex glassware factory in Orléans, France, on Nov. 15.

Europe fears its industries will jet to the U.S. as energy costs force plant closures

5:00am November 25, 2022

by Eleanor Beardsley

Duralex glassware maker is just one company that's suspended operations over spiking energy costs after a cutoff of Russian natural gas.

A boat is pictured on the shallow Rhine river near Oestrich Winkel, western Germany, on Aug. 12, as the water level passed below 40 centimeters, making ship transport increasingly difficult.

Germany's Rhine is at one of its lowest levels. That's trouble for the top EU economy

1:27pm August 17, 2022

by Rob Schmitz

A hot, dry summer has meant the water level on the Rhine River, Western Europe's most important waterway, is at a record low, making it too shallow for many ships to pass.

The cargo ship Razoni crosses the Bosporus Strait in Istanbul, Turkey, on Aug. 3. The first cargo ship to leave Ukraine since the Russian invasion was anchored at an inspection area in the Black Sea off the coast of Istanbul Wednesday morning before movin

Russia-Ukraine war: A weekly recap and look ahead (Aug. 8)

12:11pm August 08, 2022

by NPR Staff

Catch up on key developments and the latest in-depth coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Coal-fired power plants, like the Longview Power Plant in Maidsville, W.Va., have struggled financially in recent years.

National

The Supreme Court handed coal power a win. But experts say that won't save it

9:50am July 09, 2022

by Laura Benshoff

Conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices sided with coal companies in a recent case over the EPA's authority. But market forces have pushed the ongoing decline of coal power.

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Mine workers are surrounded by dust as a drill bit chews into the wall of the mine.

In eastern Ukraine's coal fields, Russia's invasion sparks hopes of a comeback

2:11pm July 06, 2022

Ukraine's coal industry was in decline. Now miners find themselves in the middle of a war with Russia — and global demand for coal is rising.

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Traffic on a hazy evening in Fresno, Calif. A new study estimates that about 50,000 lives could be saved each year if the U.S. eliminated small particles of pollution that are released from the tailpipes of cars and trucks, among other sources.

Health & Safety

Eliminating fossil fuel air pollution would save about 50,000 lives, study finds

5:15pm May 17, 2022

by Rebecca Hersher

Burning oil, coal and other fossil fuels releases plumes of tiny, dangerous particles. A new study estimates that eliminating that pollution would save about 50,000 lives in the U.S. each year.

Smoke and steam rise from towers at the coal-fired Urumqi Thermal Power Plant as seen from a plane in Urumqi in western China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on April 21, 2021.

China promotes coal in setback for efforts to cut emissions

12:49am April 25, 2022

by The Associated Press

Officials in the country face political pressure to ensure stability as President Xi Jinping prepares to try and award himself a third five-year term as ruling party leader.

Environment

Duke Energy works on plan to phase out coal, reduce carbon emissions

4:47pm February 15, 2022

by Keri Brown

Duke Energy says it's on track to stop generating electricity with coal by 2035. That includes the Belews Creek site in Stokes County, one of its largest plants.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice gives his State of the State speech in the House Chambers in January.

Coal-dependent West Virginia eliminates ban on nuclear power

6:40pm February 08, 2022

by The Associated Press

The state's ban on nuclear plants was enacted in 1996, but nuclear power has gained support as a tool to keep climate change under control and other states are transitioning away from fossil fuels.