The benefits of phasing out coal far outweigh the real-world costs, scientists say, and that’s the case even when climate change is left out of the equation entirely.

Of all the fossil fuels in the world, coal is the biggest source of carbon dioxide, and its impacts on air pollution and public health are profound.

Since the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution, large-scale coal burninghas cost lives, yet we’ve beenstruggling to kick it. Our global reliance on coal runs deep, so deep that even though we know it’s bad for us, we continue to burn it at unprecedented levels.

Now, new computer simulations on the regional effects of phasing out coal suggest that continuing on this trajectory is a big mistake, with negative impacts not only on the environment and human health, but also the economy.

“We’re well into the 21st century now and still heavily…