"Coal plants are the nation’s top source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the primary cause of global warming. In 2011, utility coal plants in the United States emitted a total of 1.7 billion tons of CO21. A typical coal plant generates 3.5 million tons of CO2 per year2."
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/coal-and-other-fossil-fue...
Ever wonder why you read that you should avoid eating fish because of mercury?
"...Every state in America has issued health
advisories warning people to limit or avoid eating certain species of fish due to toxic mercury contamination, many of which cover every waterbody in the state.
...Coal-fired power plants are the single largest source of mercury contamination in the U.S., responsible for
approximately 50% of human-caused mercury emissions."
https://www.nwf.org/~/media/PDFs/Global-Warming/NWF-Mercury-...
These are long terms effects of burning coal - in the short term tens of thousands die each year from the air pollution from coal plants.
The failure of government is that we allow coal and natural gas to be burned when there are alternatives that are much better for the environment and much better for the general health.