The city of Evansville was mentioned in a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience and not for a good reason.

Andrew Dessler, a climate scientist and professor, talked with Rogan on the Feb. 16 edition of his podcast, Rogan, who has been the subject of a few recent controversies regarding his stance on COVID-19 vaccines and his use of the N-word. Air pollution caused by coal-fired power plants came up in the conversation.

The average number of listens is 11 million per episode.

Neil Young's music will be removed by Spotify following a complaint by Joe Rogan.

Joe Rogan discusses air pollution over Evansville in his Feb. 16 podcast
Joe Rogan discusses air pollution over Evansville in his Feb. 16 podcast

Rogan asked his assistant, Jamie Vernon, to search the internet for the most polluted cities in North America. The top of the list was brought back by the search.

Rogan asked if he knew someone from Evansville.

Rogan and Dessler were shocked by Vernon's revelation that there were seven coal plants within 30 miles of the city.

Dessler said you don't want to live there.

Rogan said they need to see what the sky looks like.

Joe Rogan apologized for his use of a racial slur.

The group watched an excerpt from The Center for Public Integrity's 12-minute video on coal pollution.

Southwest Indiana has some of the worst air quality in the country.

Rogan hosted Steven Koonin, a physicist and former U.S. Department of Energy undersecretary of science, to talk about his views on climate change.

Where Evansville stands on coal pollution

Southwest Indiana has been described by environmental activists as a sacrifice zone where health takes a back seat to the coal industry. Improvements in air quality have been seen in recent decades as utilities added pollution controls to comply with changing federal air quality regulations.

Controversy without cancellation: Joe Rogan. It was a shame. There is a woman namedAwkwafina. Chappelle. None was canceled. Is this a new way of doing things?

While the area no longer struggles to meet air quality standards as it once did, it still experiences occasional air quality alerts for ozone or fine particulate pollution.

The smokestacks of CenterPoint Energy's A.B. Brown Generating Station can be seen in the distance behind its coal ash pond in Posey County near Evansville.
The smokestacks of CenterPoint Energy's A.B. Brown Generating Station can be seen in the distance behind its coal ash pond in Posey County near Evansville.

Coal accounted for 53 percent of Indiana's electricity production in 2020, compared to 19 percent nationally, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. After Texas and Missouri, Indiana is third in the nation in total coal consumption and coal consumption for electricity generation.

Southwest Indiana residents have some good news. Indiana Michigan Power wants to close its coal-fired generating units in Indiana in the year 2028. CenterPoint Energy is replacing its coal-burning A.B. Brown Power plant with a turbine that burns natural gas, but that will still produce carbon emissions.

Mark Wilson is an Environment Reporter for C&P.

Contact Ray Couture at rcouture@courierpress.com.

The article was originally published on theEvanston Courier and Press.

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