We've all heard that non-renewable energy sources are "bad for the environment", but what makes them so detrimental to ecosystems?
COAL: What is it and how does it harm us?
-Coal is a non-renewable fossil fuel that takes millions of years to form.
-There are about 600 coal plants in the U.S., which together produce about 50% of the nation’s electricity.
-Coal pollutes the earth everywhere it goes once it is extracted from the earth: It pollutes when it is mined, transported, stored, and burned. Much of it is mined through strip mining, which contaminates soils and damages aquifers.
-Coal power plants produce the majority of the sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions generated by the the electric utility industry. These emissions cause acid rain, which can damage infrastructure and pollute soil and bodies of water.
-The combustion of coal requires large amounts of water, which depletes bodies of water.
-The burning of coal leads to fly ash sludge storage ponds. These can collapse, leading to fly ash spills.
-The exposure of coal beds leads to an increased risk of coal seam fires, which can burn underground for decades, and pollute the air if they reach the surface.
-Coal is the largest factor in man-made increases of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, which contributes to the greenhouse effect.
