Danger from ... coal

In the picture is a worker of the No. 2 Energy Plant in Soc Chau (China) working on the factory's huge haze.

According to calculations, in 90 minutes, coal-fired power plants in China emit toxic dust that can fill an Olympic pool (50x25m). China currently has more than 1,400 coal-fired thermal power plants, emitting 315 million tons of coal dust smoke per year, 2.5 times more than in 2002.

Most of these factories are located very close to residential areas, dust and smoke from coal can spread to 150,000 km ² if experiencing strong winds. A report by the China Green Peace Organization reported that the results of the sample of smoke and dust samples from the coal-fired plants show that each sample contains more than 20 components harmful to human health and the environment.