Alabama Water Pollution

Coal is the dirtiest of all fossil fuels. When burned, it produces emissions that contribute to global warming, create acid rain and pollute water. With all of the talk surrounding nuclear energy, hydropower and biofuels, you might be forgiven for thinking that grimy coal is finally on its way out. On the other hand, coal is no sooty remnant of the Industrial Revolution - it generates half of the electricity in the United States and will likely continue to do so as long as it's cheap and plentiful . Clean coal technology seeks to reduce harsh environmental effects by using multiple technologies to clean. Coal is a fossil fuel composed primarily of carbons and hydrocarbons. Its ingredients help make plastics, tar and fertilizers. A coal derivative, a solidified carbon called coke, melts iron ore and reduces it to create steel. But most coal - 92 percent of the U.S. supply - goes into power production .Electric companies and businesses with power plants burn coal to make the steam that turns turbines and generates electricity. When coal burns, it releases carbon dioxide and other emissions in flue gas, the billowing clouds you see pouring out of smoke stacks. Some clean coal technologies purify the coal before it burns. One type of coal preparation, coal washing, removes unwanted minerals by mixing crushed coal with a liquid and allowing the impurities to separate and settle. Other systems control the coal burn to minimize emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and

Fossil Fuels are extremely harmful to the environment, especially in the ways the fuel is obtained, such as mining or hydraulic fracturing. Coal, a commonly used fossil fuel, can be obtained by strip mining, mountaintop mining, or underground mining (“Coal Explained”). Strip mining has disastrous effects on the environment because of the destructive nature of the process, which removes all soil, rock, trees, and plants above coal deposits. The runoff from this pollutes streams and rivers nearby, which can harm aquatic life and disfigure the body of water,

The article, “Coal and the Environment”, provides the readers will and understanding of how coal works and also how it is dangerous to our environment. Coal on its own is not dangerous to the environment but once the coal is burned, then pollutants are released into the air causing for less clean air. The government has taken a stand on the industries polluting the air we breathe in everyday with the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. These two acts put restrictions on industries that allow for safer and cleaner air.

Emissions from coal fired power plants contribute to global warming, ozone smog, acid rain, regional haze, and perhaps most consequential of all from a public health standpoint, fine particle pollution.

Aquatic life is literally suffocated by the waste rock thrown into valleys and gorges. For instance, an article by NASA stated that “The waste rock from the mountain is dumped into valleys and pollutes water/stream beds, causing a decline in aquatic life.” The pollution can create genetic mutations in fish and raises the amount of metal in streams. This affects the wildlife around the streams and humans, too. In fact, the article “Bad Rock: How Mountaintop Removal Mining Can Damage Streams” says “Many streams are buried under tens to hundreds of meters of waste rock.” The streams that are buried are home to many different aquatic species, but they are being killed because of the demand for coal. Many streams and animals are being killed, and it’s advancing throughout the land.

and the impact of its use on the environment and the habitat around the coal mining sites.

Coal is used as a source of energy when mining, when coal is burnt it releases coal ashes in to the atmosphere that contain heavy chemicals such as mercury, arsenic and

Coal happens to be a very important tool in the factory business. Many different places in the world use coal as an energy source, not only the U.S. These are just some of the reason why we still use coal. Coal is extremely cheap and very abundant. But some disadvantages of using coal is the mass amounts of co2 pollution it causes.

Coal slurry (a mix of rock and coal products left over after the mined coal has been treated for use as a fuel) is a severe environmental problem around coal mines. The slurry itself is a semi-liquid, and is generally stored in a pond or small lake near the mine exit. The slurry contains a whole host of nasty chemicals, mostly benzene relatives and derivatives, and is categorized as low-level toxic waste. Storing is a significant problem, as it has a tendency to leech into the local environment, contaminating groundwater and nearby croplands. The major problem is that the volume of coal slurry is quite high, relative to the amount of usable coal produced.

Finding an energy source that is abundant, affordable, and easy to utilize unlike any other energy source on the market sounds like an open and shut case for the mining of coal. There are always two sides to every story and the opposition to coal mining offers solid evidence why the mining of coal is not as perfect as it seems. Upon further investigation information is available stating coal mining is responsible for deforestation contributing to the destruction of habitats that support our wildlife. The techniques utilized to gain access to coal include the removal of soil, plants, and trees. This technique leaves behind the demolition of land, home to wildlife habitats. (Mining Impacts, 2010). In addition, the chemical impurity of waters

Today’s demand for electricity is voracious, consuming 3913 billion kilowatt-hours in the United States alone6. According to the Wall Street Journal, coal is currently one of the most used fuel source to produce the United States’ energy along with natural gas, petroleum, renewable energy, and nuclear power1. For a long time, coal has been the best heat source since it contains more heat per gram and potential energy compared to wood’s meager output4. To use coal to produce electricity, the coal is heated and cooled with water. The water vapor is used to turn a turbine connected to a generator, and is later condensed back into liquid water and returned to a body of water or recycled4. The chemical formula of coal is C135H96O9NS from carbonized plant biomass but varies from different coal qualities, ranging from anthracite to peat1. What differs between each quality of coal is the amount of carbon, oxygen, and impurities such as mercury and sulfur. These impurities affect the amount of pollution that gets expelled into the atmosphere such as sulfur dioxide and poisonous mercury gas4. As a result, these pollutants cause respiratory problems and acidify water

“In 2015, the United States generated about 4 trillion kilowatthours of electricity.1 About 67% of 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 statistics and information about the burning of coal. Sourcewatch.org said that “Coal combustion releases nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, mercury, and dozens of other substances known to be hazardous to human health” (Air). There are plenty of chemicals out there that I have never heard of, however, the three listed in the lines above, I have heard before. Although, I do not know much about any of them; so I will look them up.

Coal exerts great influence on globalizing force like the transport sector. Looking at transportation mediums like cars and airplanes, they run because of fuel. Many people think that fuel comes from gasoline, which is true, but the liquid fuel coal is also used in airplanes and cars. The liquid fuel combines with natural gas and creates

Coal has been driving the world’s energy needs since the Roman Empire, however it is not without repercussions. Coal is a dirty energy source that is dangerous to acquire and environmentally devastating when used. It has caused numerous health issues in miners, contaminated local water supplies, and is responsible for the depletion of the ozone. Although coal is a widely used energy source, the world should invest in finding alternative and more efficient energy sources.

en I moved in Chicago four years ago, I assumed water it would be the last problem for the one of the biggest cities in the world. Considering that Chicago has a very big water resource such is Lake Michigan, seems that water pollution is increasing every day. First weeks in Chicago, I was told by my friends, not to drink the water by the tap, otherwise I would get sick. They suggested me to buy water bottles, as the water from the tap was very dirty. I always asked myself, why Chicago is listed in one of the cities that has water pollution, when it has opportunities to abolish this problem. This topic always provoked me, because we can take care of this problem if we really know what we should do.