Pros And Cons Of Coal Seam Production And Use In Australia

Coal and Coal Seam Production and Use in Australia.

Coal and coal seam gas (CSG) are both naturally occurring resources. They are both extracted from the ground by mining. Coal is burned to produce electricity in huge power plants. CSG can be cooled to produce liquefied natural gas, or the methane gas can used to power electricity generators. The mining of coal in order to produce electricity has advantages and disadvantages, which divide the opinions of society. The same can be said for the extraction of CSG, which has become a particularly topical issue in Australia in recent years. With a focus throughout the world upon greenhouse gas emissions, an environmentally friendly way to produce energy is a priority. However, we need vast amounts …show more content…
Although it is a controversial method, CSG mining and energy production, does not impact upon the environment as negatively as coal mining. As it is a fairly new way to produce energy, CSG mining companies are constantly searching for new ways to be more efficient and environmentally friendly. The fact that only small areas of land are needed to mine for CSG means there is less damage to the landscape. Some mistakes have been made, with greedy companies trying to force land owners to have CSG mines on their properties. This could be improved with some better communication and respect shown towards land owners. Also, the left over water is used for other purposes, like irrigation which is a great benefit to areas of Australia in drought. Many people are against both forms of mining but the fact is that we demand energy for electricity to run our homes and businesses, so some method has to exist. In the future, CSG will become more accepted because society understands that we cannot continue to pump pollutants into the atmosphere the way coal mining does. We must have energy and CSG mining is the best option, not perfect, but an