Coal is one of the primary energy sources in the United States. The US Energy Information Agency reported in 2009 that coal counts for 23% of the total energy use in the US. However coals is a finite resource,harmful to the environment and also affects human lives. Scientists predict that supply of coal will deplete in a century and the use of coal is harmful to the environment in that the mining of coal degrades land, it pollutes air, causes heating of lakes and rivers, and causes health issues for workers working in coal plants. Americans must find a new resource to replace coal; American find a resouce that not only is renwable but one that is eco-friendly.
Coal is primarily used to generate electricity and is responsible for 42 percent …show more content…
However, although 90 percent of the sulfur emissions are caught, the remainder can be ejected from the smokestacks into the atmosphere, which causes air pollution. The mining of coal also damages the land , and causes destruction of soil and vegetation. The biggest environmental impact of the coal by far is global warming. The combustion of coal is responsible for 36.5 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions (which is the main cause of global warming) in the United States and the Center for Biological Diversity in the United States reported that coal accounts for 85% of the total greenhouse gas emissionsof the elcticity generating enrgies. Coal emits greenhouse gas the most out of the fossil fuels because it releases 24 kilograms of carbon per billion joules of energy as compared to oil at 18kg and natural gas at 14kg of carbon per billion joules. In addition the emission of carbon dioxide, methane is also emitted by the combustion of coal. Methane, which is also a greenhouse gas, has a potential for global warming more than carbon dioxide by more than twenty five times. Another dilemna of using coal generated energy is the management of waste created by coal plants. Waste from coal plants includes more than one hundred twenty five thousand tons of ash and one hundred ninety three
Coal is primarily used to generate electricity and is responsible for 42 percent …show more content…
However, although 90 percent of the sulfur emissions are caught, the remainder can be ejected from the smokestacks into the atmosphere, which causes air pollution. The mining of coal also damages the land , and causes destruction of soil and vegetation. The biggest environmental impact of the coal by far is global warming. The combustion of coal is responsible for 36.5 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions (which is the main cause of global warming) in the United States and the Center for Biological Diversity in the United States reported that coal accounts for 85% of the total greenhouse gas emissionsof the elcticity generating enrgies. Coal emits greenhouse gas the most out of the fossil fuels because it releases 24 kilograms of carbon per billion joules of energy as compared to oil at 18kg and natural gas at 14kg of carbon per billion joules. In addition the emission of carbon dioxide, methane is also emitted by the combustion of coal. Methane, which is also a greenhouse gas, has a potential for global warming more than carbon dioxide by more than twenty five times. Another dilemna of using coal generated energy is the management of waste created by coal plants. Waste from coal plants includes more than one hundred twenty five thousand tons of ash and one hundred ninety three