Let's just put it on the table here - the term "clean coal" is a joke.  Coal is an extremely high polluting energy source that emits more carbon per unit of energy than oil and natural gas, and represents a significant portion of greenhouse gases.  So whenever you hear the term "clean coal", just laugh as you would when you watch your favorite Seinfeld episode.

With that in mind, read through these coal "Did you knows" from the Sierra Club and enjoy the creative photographs from Lauren Burke after the jump.  And be sure to read author Silas House's phenomenal piece in the Sierra Club's "Sierra" magazine titled, "The Dirt on Coal". 

• 78 Pounds - Amount of coal it takes to run a dryer for a month in an average U.S. household that relies on electricity from a coal-fired power plant
• 162 Pounds - Amount of coal it takes to light a house with incandescent lightbulbs for a month
• 170 Pounds - Amount of coal it takes to heat water for an average U.S. household for a month
• 235 Pounds - Amount of coal it would take to warm an average U.S. household with space heaters for a month
• 1,140 Pounds - Total monthly coal consumption for an average U.S. household (including appliances not listed above), resulting in 3,369 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions

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