Facts
about coal:
Coal is a solid form of fossil
Fuels
that is currently the second most
commonly used fuel in the world.
Coal is very abundant and is widely
distributed.
Many developing
countries are dependent on coal
because they can’t
afford oil or
natural gas. It is
predicted that the
worlds supply of coal will last for
about 200 years.
This prediction of course depends upon how long it takes until
our supply
of other energy resources runs out.
Advantages:
 |
Coal is used to produce
electricity in order to heat
large plants and buildings.
|
|
Coal is cheap when using it
to produce heat.
|
Disadvantages:
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Promotes the Greenhouse
effect:
|
emits 25% more CO2 than an equal amount of oil.
emits 80% more CO2 than an equal amount of natural
gas.
|
Releases major contributors
to Acid Rain:
|
releases sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.
|
Not economically
competitive with natural gas and other sources of oil:
|
Attempts to turn coal into liquid fuel and
hydrocarbons
are very expensive.
|
Encourages Strip Mining:
|
damaging to the lands surface, streams and
lakes
as a result of mining and drilling.
underground
coal fires can occur (impossible to
extinguish).
dangerous
to workers.
Black Lung Disease.
Killed in accidents.
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