inhaler-flickr-arycorgeThis is a step in the right direction for the coal industry: energy giant Peabody is buying asthma inhalers for kids affected by coal-burning power plants.

I just wish they weren’t using the opportunity to push dubious attacks on clean energy like these:

Coal power is solar power. That’s because millions of years ago, before coal began to form from decaying organic matter, the sun provided the energy that organic matter required to grow and die.

Wind Kills. Wind turbines can kill up to 70,000 birds per year, or 4.27 birds per turbine per year. Coal particulate pollution, on the other hand, kills fewer than 13,000 people per year.

Solar Burns. In just 30 minutes, a human being absorbs 2.5 million joules of energy from the sun—enough, for most people, to cause sunburn.

None of that is really fair. But I suppose I should just be glad that the industry is finally acknowledging the harm they do to low-income communities.

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  • And, yes, I know it’s a hoax. I just thought it was hilarious, especially the “clean energy” and “FAQ” pages.

    Well done.

    Photo credit: inhaler / Aryc Ogre / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0