It's been interesting to see some of the climb-back that coal industry seems to be doing, such as the new projects in the UK-- not to mention the conintued growth in China (which was not unexpected)

It is not just pollution that is the sad story of coal-fired generation. But we must bear in mind that not so long ago during the industrial revolution, children were enslaved in coal mines. And even today in many mines around the world this practice continues.
Work in coalmines was both hard and dangerous. Coal seams varied in thickness from eighteen inches in Durham to about seven feet in Yorkshire. Narrow seams meant the miners worked in very confined spaces. Where possible, pit ponies were used to carry the coal. However, in narrow seams, women and children had the job of carrying the coal while crawling on their hands and knees. "Children were chained, belted, harnessed like dogs in a go-cart, black, saturated with wet, and more than half-naked - crawling upon their hands and feet, and dragging their heavy loads behind them - they present an appearance indescribably disgusting and unnatural."
Today's energy crisis is due to very bad energy planning by European politicians, unfortunately. The Putin-Schroeder trade friendship ended the global economy and peace in Europe.