The cost of coal??? Is it really "cheap" to burn coal??

Many people say that the low cost of coal in comparison to other energy sources makes it a good source of energy to use in generating electricity. What do you think about the "cost" of coal describe in the blurb below???

"The National Academy of Sciences has released a study indicating that burning fossil fuels costs the United States about $120 billion a year in health costs, mostly because of thousands of premature deaths from air pollution. The damages are caused almost equally by coal and oil, according to the study which was ordered by Congress. The study set out to measure the costs not incorporated into the price of a kWh or a gallon of gasoline or diesel fuel. The estimates by the academy do not include damages from global warming. Coal burning was the biggest single source of such external costs, but the variation among coal plants was enormous. The worst plants, generally the oldest and burning coal with the highest sulfur content, were 3.6 times worse than the average."

Can you add something about this to your rap on the journey of coal?? Please comment on this blog or ask a question!! I would love to hear what you think....