Coal is something we’re all familiar with. We know that people mine it, it comes from decayed plant material, and also that it sends a lot of black smoke into the air. However, a lot of people also think that coal is a part of our past and that we’ve moved on to other forms of energy. Coal is very much a part of our present day, though, making up 24% of our world power and 69% of our energy mostly because of the fact that it doesn’t cost very much. So, while coal is cheap, the burning of coal is bad for the environment because it pollutes the air, coal is bad for the human body, and coal is also a non-renewable resource.
Even though coal, as stated before, is something we’re all familiar with let’s go ahead and go over what exactly coal is.
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If you go by factories that process coal, there is a high chance that you will see heavy black smoke coming out from the roof of them and spitting what can’t be used into the air. Coal also has a history of creating acid rain and if you lived in Los Angeles in the 1970’s, you would have been just one of the many people having to wear a gas mask just to be outside of your house because the air was so toxic.
Coal has also been shown to be extremely toxic to the human body. Pneumoconiosis, or Black Lung Disease, is a disease of the lungs caused by breathing in mineral and coal dust. This disease is most often contracted by miners and got its nickname because of the black tinge the lungs acquire. One main symptom is hypoxemia, or low oxygen levels, which is dangerous since this can put all of the other organs in the body in danger, particularly the heart and brain. There is also an increased risk of cancer, COPD, and low birth weight.
The effects of coal extend beyond the mines when the method is surface mining and over to the communities they border. The explosives in particular carry a risk of poisoning the citizens in surrounding communities as well as damaging water tables and contaminating the water. The explosions can even cause debris to go flying into homes killing residents, and the diseases seen in mines have also showed up in those
Coal Energy In how many ways can coal impact the environment? Coal is a type of rock that consists of plant matter, and it is one of the two fossil fuels. It is transferred into energy by the powder being burned, then the heat turns the water into steam and the high pressure heat turns a turbine, which is connected to a generator. Coal energy impacts the environment by, providing jobs, a stable energy source, and the pollution it gives off. One reason it impacts the environment is because it provides
conflict is the war on coal; it’s a phrase used by the coal industry and its supporters to describe what they claim is an effort by the government to impose regulations on coal power in the United States and making such power inefficient. Advocates of this expression also often identify the Environmental Protection Agency as one of the groups pursuing this war. The war on coal is also the decision whether coal is a good and reliable resource to use or whether coal is a bad and hazardous resources
Acid Rain Coal mining is bad for the earth, there is no other way to put it, but why is it bad for the earth what drawbacks does coal mining have? It turns out a lot, it's terrible for the environment, coal contributes to global warming and the effects of acid rain. This being said, if we continue to do it, there must be a very good reason for ruining our earth, right? What are the benefits of coal mining? Why do we continue to ruin our earth, home, and destroy wildlife? Well, coal energy production
howl of the breeze trickling through the trees. Why would you think of something bad? Well, maybe you should start thinking of rain as a bad thing. Maybe not rain, but what is in the rain. Not enough attention is being put toward the well being of the Earth. There are definitely forces at work destroying our environment as we speak. Our government needs to explore all the deadly toxins that go into our environment every second. Without this exploration we could kill ourselves. Not only will
INTRODUCTION Today coal dominates global power. It accounts for 41 per cent of global electricity and massive 73 percent of Australian power. Many see it as an industry that Australia needs in order to survive. Coal, however harms the environment around us and the lives of the people involved. Coal is also becoming increasingly economically unviable. Australia must leave coal behind and move towards alternative, more sustainable sources of energy. GLOBAL WARMING / ENVIRONMENT While many coal producers don't
the electricity generated was from fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum)” (What). This shocked me to hear that statistic. I was aware that the United States does a lot of fossil fuel burning; however, I did not know that we are so reliant on it. The website later said that coal alone is responsible for 33% of the electricity generated in the United States. Coal has always intrigued me since I was young and liked trains, in particular, coal powered trains. So I thought I would look into some
many different campaigns, projects , and lobbyist to help stop environmental problems, pollution , and climate change to help this world. One of the things the Sierra Club is doing that is having a big impact in our country is the Beyond Coal Campaign. The Beyond Coal Campaign's main objective is to replace dirty
Green Bay Coal Piles Have you ever enjoyed walking, eating, or shopping by the riverfront, in downtown Green Bay? It is currently being covered by coal dust daily and no one is stopping it. Coal piles have disrupted people around the riverfront since 1978. The Koch company has recently sold the controversial Coal Piles to a coal industry family in Pennsylvania, this could be what the locals have been waiting for as the coal piles could be removed. However, the family has stated that they don’t plan
dictionary (2015) coal is a “hard, black substance that is dug from the earth and it can be burned to produce heat or power”. Before the 18th century coal was produced in limited amounts. However, after the industrial revolution the demand for coal has become more. Coal was used in various industries because it was cheaper than the other fuels (Wilde, 2015). Although coal developed the economy, the mines harmed the environment and it was unsafe to work in them. Coal has. Coal damaged the
Is coal a good energy producers? Coal mines and coal it makes tons of money. Over a million tons of coal is produced in the worldwide. The largest coal producers in the world are China, the United States, India, Australia and Indonesia (World Coal Association). Coal is by far the cheapest energy producer in the world. It is very well supplied in the United States and in our foreign countries. The coal mine provides many jobs such as removing it from the earth, transporting to the river or other utilities
whether the pros outweigh the cons of using fossil fuels. Coal and nuclear power are the two largest sources of electrical energy in the U.S., but only coal is a fossil fuel. Coal and other fossil fuels are responsible for global warming, which comes from the green house gas effect. Nuclear power pollutes the natural environment the least, however many people associate it with the atomic bombs and forget it’s good qualities. If people know coal is bad and that it is polluting the planet than why doesn’t
we think energy, most people will probably think coal. Coal is the primary choice for building power plant around the world. This due to its abundance and low cost, but there is no denying that coal is some pretty nasty stuff. Solar is a much better source of energy. Coal is a non-renewable energy, which means that there is only finite amount it. Not only is coal unsustainable it’s quite unsafe not just for the environment but to people too. Coal contains the most CO2, it is the largest contributor
Effect of coal burning The effect of coal burning, so what is coal? There are two kinds of coal such as char, and mineral coal. Char coal is obtained from burning wood where as mineral Coal is from fossil fuel that is formed by remains of plants that live and died over some 400 million years ago when the earth was covered with swampy forest. Coal is mostly used as a fossil fuel to produce electricity and heat. Since the early 1300s and Native Americans have been using coal for hearing and cooking
As many know, coal is considered a very dirty energy source, releasing carbon each time it is burned. It has been developed throughout millions of years, constantly growing in consumption each time it is burned. But what really is the story behind coal? How has it changed throughout its time? When coal was first discovered, many would know it as a happy resource. Coal loved to be used throughout its beginning, not knowing the consequences that it produced. Coal began to become popular among the
also damage the environment (Trevino 2015). Looking at the situation described earlier with the mine, a conflict theorist could explain the action by saying that the development of a coal mine provides society with important goods. By burning coal, energy is made and electricity is generated. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron and for cement production which both are necessities for society. Hence, a conflict theorist would suggest that the environment is influenced