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A lump of coal will soon cost too much to put in anyone's Christmas stocking, let alone the misbehaving kid for whom it's intended.

As the year rolls to an end, the global community is about to set a new and certainly unwelcome record for coal consumption. Somewhat serendipitously, on Sunday the European Union -- home to much of this year's coal burning -- began finalizing details on a new tax on carbon emissions in trade routes.

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Source Fool.com