What do coal waste + food have to do with each other?

See Washington Post article.
See Wall Street Journal article.

This is an important issue and both sides have a major problem.

I wish with all of my heart that I could solve problems like this. I have a hard time shrugging off issues – with our world and its future – such as this.

One way to move toward a solution is to spread awareness of both problems:

1. Farmers are being encouraged to spread a chalky waste from coal-fired power plants on their fields to loosen and fertilize soil ultimately affecting the food that we eat. Yuck and hazardous! We need to use our voices against this.
   
2. There is an excessive amount of waste being produced. We as a society need to figure out practical everyday ways in which we can use less product from the power industry. Let's all use less electricity in an effort to lessen this ugly waste product so the power industry has less to problem solve. We need to implement the old stand-bye: reduce, reuse, recycle. 
   

Also, perhaps we can brainstorm effective ways to use this product other than in ways that it will eventually leach into our bodies through guidelines of use. Perhaps this hazardous material can be used in parking lots or locked between layers of commercial buildings... not in drywall that is cut and breathed in by construction workers and very close to the interior habitat of small children, office workers, our lovely human race! It does not belong in or near toys, food, paint, textiles, interior or even exterior building materials (think deterioration and residue developed over time left to fall on side walks and tracked into our homes, parks, environments); Let's keep this waste only in materials that will be effectively sealed and away from humans, animals, sea life and life sources.

I know and trust that we have very intelligent and brilliant people in Washington and abroad diligently working toward a solution to this problem. At the same time, I think the more people that can be aware of this issue the better.