Coal mining and Nuclear energy is a battle of the ages in that one way of energy is the “old” way and the other, the “new and progressive” choice. Based on the criteria of transporting, risks, and environmental destruction, nuclear energy would take the crown. Transporting coal is a more severe issue than nuclear power rods, as it is a more common occurrence and tends to be more expensive and “dirtier” for the environment. Common ways of transportation for coal include the Great Lakes, railroads, rivers, tidewater piers, slurry pipelines (coal mixed with water), and trucks. Nuclear power rods are transported mainly on either railroads or on trucks, each way requires different cases to keep it contained. Additionally, railroad
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Mining the coal though poses the threat of ‘black lung,’ also known as pneumoconiosis which can lead to other problems such as emphysema, bronchitis, and fibrosis. Further, pollution from coal mining increases the exposed population’s risk for kidney disease, COPD, and hypertension. Another factor that increases health risks, is the fact that the government is exempting coal plants from having to abide by the Clean Air Act standards, resulting in many poorer to still have an increased risks for health problems, leading to a lower life expectancy. Risks associated with coal mining go beyond just health and environment issues, it changes the geography of a mining area. One method of mining consists of taking the tops of the mountains off to get to shallow coal mines above ground, if this continues mountains will go from being pointed to …show more content…
For starters, all nuclear energy plants follow the Clean Air Act. This type of energy is additionally recognized for creating energy while reducing greenhouse-gasses. Furthermore, this type of energy is considered one of the cleanest energy sources as it emits no air pollution, isolates its waste from the environment, and requires a relatively small plot of land. While Nuclear power plant accidents are few and far between, we cannot forget how a small and clean energy source can destroy environments and even expose workers to high levels of radiation. So, the risks associated with human health deals, with overexposure of radiation. Some common issues with overexposure to radiation happens in the cells, by either killing them or mutating the DNA inside of them, and both of these can lead to the development of cancerous cells. Just like at the dentist or doctor’s office, they try to protect one’s thyroid as it is the most susceptible to radiation, it is also the number one cancer due to nuclear radiation, especially in exposed children. Even though this is a severe circumstance a more realistic issue is when the workers are exposed to too much,“radiation sickness.” This can lead to death as it often produces symptoms of bleeding and shedding of the lining on the gastrointestinal tract. While there is no
Mining the coal though poses the threat of ‘black lung,’ also known as pneumoconiosis which can lead to other problems such as emphysema, bronchitis, and fibrosis. Further, pollution from coal mining increases the exposed population’s risk for kidney disease, COPD, and hypertension. Another factor that increases health risks, is the fact that the government is exempting coal plants from having to abide by the Clean Air Act standards, resulting in many poorer to still have an increased risks for health problems, leading to a lower life expectancy. Risks associated with coal mining go beyond just health and environment issues, it changes the geography of a mining area. One method of mining consists of taking the tops of the mountains off to get to shallow coal mines above ground, if this continues mountains will go from being pointed to …show more content…
For starters, all nuclear energy plants follow the Clean Air Act. This type of energy is additionally recognized for creating energy while reducing greenhouse-gasses. Furthermore, this type of energy is considered one of the cleanest energy sources as it emits no air pollution, isolates its waste from the environment, and requires a relatively small plot of land. While Nuclear power plant accidents are few and far between, we cannot forget how a small and clean energy source can destroy environments and even expose workers to high levels of radiation. So, the risks associated with human health deals, with overexposure of radiation. Some common issues with overexposure to radiation happens in the cells, by either killing them or mutating the DNA inside of them, and both of these can lead to the development of cancerous cells. Just like at the dentist or doctor’s office, they try to protect one’s thyroid as it is the most susceptible to radiation, it is also the number one cancer due to nuclear radiation, especially in exposed children. Even though this is a severe circumstance a more realistic issue is when the workers are exposed to too much,“radiation sickness.” This can lead to death as it often produces symptoms of bleeding and shedding of the lining on the gastrointestinal tract. While there is no