Coal has been the key energy source for the industrial revolution, providing amenities that most of us take for granted today—including electricity, new materials (steel, plastics, cement and fertilizers), fast transportation, and advanced communications. But now the coin has flipped and we are trying to stop the use of coal to save our future.
See http://www.namati.org/entry/fighting-coal-the-need-for-cross-country-collaborations/.