The role of coal in the World
Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in the world. We have coal reserves to last us a century. Coal is, " a combustible black or dark brown rock consisting mainly of carbonized plant matter, found mainly in underground deposits and widely used as fuel." (Google). Coal plays a significant role in "electricity generation, steel production, cement manufacturing and as a liquid fuel." (World Coal). There are four types of coal Anthracite has the highest carbon content between 86-98%, there are 7.3 billion anthracite coal reserves in the United States. Bituminous coal is the most plentiful in the United States, its carbon content is rated between 45%-85%. Sub-bituminous is the most abundant type of coal in the U.S and has a carbon content of 35%-45%. Lignite coal contains 25%-35% carbon content and its high moisture content makes it have a low heating value.
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The Role Of Coal In San Diego
The one power plant that ran on fossil fuels in South Bay was shut down in 2013 and the area is now being renovated into a public park for the citizens of Chula Vista to enjoy. The city has taken the green approach and has invested in natural gas and solar powered energy to power their city.
The one power plant that ran on fossil fuels in South Bay was shut down in 2013 and the area is now being renovated into a public park for the citizens of Chula Vista to enjoy. The city has taken the green approach and has invested in natural gas and solar powered energy to power their city.
The Role of Coal in California
Coal as an energy source is practically obsolete in California, there are no coal reserves in California and thus the state has opted to search out different forms of energy. California is largely powered by natural gas power plants, hydroelectric, geothermal, wind power and solar power. However, there are three coal-fired plants in California, Argus Cogeneration, Rio Bravo Jasmin, and Rio Bravo Poso, and one petroleum coke-fired plant, the Los Angeles Refinery Calciner. While another coal fired power plant was retired in October 2014, known as ACE Cogeneration.
The lack of coal fired power plants is due to the fervent protests of many concerned citizens in California. Many Californians have protested against the use of fossil fuel fired power plants, going so far as to protest against banks and corporations that have funded coal mining corporations. On one occasion the residents of Bakersfield started a protest against Hydrogen Electric California (HECA) who plan on building a clean coal fired power plant in Tupman. The protesters have gone so far to file a lawsuit against the company who is intended to supply the plant with coal from New Mexico. Currently (as of 2015), HECA has won a 6 month suspension in which it is to revise it plans for the power plant.
The Role of Coal in the United States
The United States is sitting on the largest coal reserves in the world. Each year the United States on average produces one billion short tons, but experienced a drop in 2013 and only produced 948.8 million short tons. However, the U.S consumption of coal has increased about 4% with the electric power sector consuming 98% of the coal. The need for coal has caused various forms of pollution and environmental issues. Valleys and streams are polluted from coal mining and thousands of miles of forest are cut down in order to have access to the coal within their ecosystem. Acid mine drainage is a consequences presented by coal mining, in which the acidic water from coal mines mixes with Pyrite a sulfur bearing mineral and reacts with the air forming sulfuric acid and this then contaminates nearby water sources making them poisonous to the local ecosystems. |
One form of coal mining, mountaintop removal involves blasting the tops off mountains in order to reach the coal within. This has resulted in several Appalachian streams to have been buried underneath the debris, water supplies have been contaminated, and aquatic biodiversity has decreased (SourceWatch).
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There are no laws prohibiting this practice and the Clean Water Act does not protect bodies of water from all of the waste products of mining and coal power plants. When a power plant is fined for ignoring the Clean Water Act they are given fines and slight punishment. "Closing the floodgates: How the Coal Industry is Poisoning Our Water and How We Can Stop It, Ecowatch, August 2013. The report found that: coal plants are the largest source of toxic water pollution in the country; of the 274 coal plants that discharge coal ash and scrubber wastewater into waterways, nearly 70 percent (188) have no limits on the toxics most commonly found in the wastewater (arsenic, boron, cadmium, lead, mercury and selenium), and more than one-third (102) have no requirements to monitor or report discharges of the toxic metals; 71 coal plants surveyed discharge toxic water pollution into water that has already been declared impaired due to poor water quality, and more than three out of four of these coal plants (59) have no permit that limits the amount of toxic metals it can dump; nearly half of the coal plants surveyed (187) are operating with an expired Clean Water Act permit, most five or more years ago." (SourceWatch).
The U.S Compared to Canada and China
The United States consumed 889,185 short tons of coal in 2012 compared to Canada who consumed 45,887 short tons that year. China consumed 3,887,264 short tons of coal making it the largest coal consumer in world. As a whole the entire world consumed 8,186,103 short tons, but many countries input into this astounding amount have not even come close to contributing as much as China or the United States (International Energy Statistics). When it comes to carbon dioxide emissions the United States produced 1656 million metric tons in 2012, Canada produced 89 million metric tons and China produced 6513 million metric tons.
The United States consumed 889,185 short tons of coal in 2012 compared to Canada who consumed 45,887 short tons that year. China consumed 3,887,264 short tons of coal making it the largest coal consumer in world. As a whole the entire world consumed 8,186,103 short tons, but many countries input into this astounding amount have not even come close to contributing as much as China or the United States (International Energy Statistics). When it comes to carbon dioxide emissions the United States produced 1656 million metric tons in 2012, Canada produced 89 million metric tons and China produced 6513 million metric tons.
A Prediction For the Future
The future looks pretty bleak from this viewpoint. World leaders such as the United States and China are setting terrible examples for the rest of the world. They are demolishing the earth and using up the resources faster than the earth can produce them. The earth is dying from this human infestation and not enough people are trying to stop it.
Coal mining does not need to be a plague to this earth, we do need coal to power our world, but we need to use it in moderation. Coal mining provides jobs, but we cannot over do ourselves. America has always had a portion distortion mindset and its time to stop. Someone needs to begin to change, and the United States needs to be the first to stop exploiting the earth's resources. We have already discovered various other forms to produce energy and these are the forms we should be using more than coal because they are not only healthier for the earth but for us as well.