The dreaded 2 degrees Celsius rise in global warming will occur much sooner than 2100 as predicted by some estimates. The rise in CO2 is in a hockey-stick phase, and most estimates do not consider the continued increase in CO2 emissions from around the world including the United States.
Coal-fired plants produce about the same amount of CO2 per watt as natural gas. They also produce much more unsavory products such as sulfur dioxide (acid rain) and combustion waste products when compared with-gas powered generation of electricity. The coal-fired plants also cause pollution to land and water including mercury contamination. China and India are still rapidly developing new coal-fired energy, but any replacement to natural gas would still produce excessive CO2 and methane pollution.
Even a layman can see the undeniable rise in temperature and correlation with CO2 levels. Deniers’ claim of reduced solar output and other red hearing arguments have been completely disproven.