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As physicians, we are elated to see that the Alberta government is moving forward with phasing out coal-fired power plants. This move parallels those of other jurisdictions around the world to eliminate coal, the dirtiest of fossil fuels.

Four of Britain’s remaining nine coal plants have closed in recent weeks, including the last one in Scotland. In the United States, coal power declined by 14 per cent from 2014 to 2015. Even China’s coal use dropped six per cent over the last two years. Meanwhile in Alberta, in 2015 we continued to rely on coal for approximately 64 per cent of our grid power.

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It’s time for us to catch up.

However, the industry is fighting to defend its profits at Albertans’ expense. The Coal Association of Canada, after hiring former PC environment minister Robin Campbell as president, has launched an all-out public relations offensive, replete with pro-industry spin. Town halls, letters to the editors, multiple “news” stories and a recent op-ed amount to a deluge of misinformation about coal in Alberta. The media has been lapping it up. Time for a response.