Energy comparison: coal the pros and cons

Hello,

Today we're talking about coal and how it's used as an energy source. As you've probably already noticed we're not really big fans of coal. So this post is going to be looking into the pros and cons of coal as an energy source.

General facts

Coal is a black sedimentary rock, made of carbon and hydrocarbons, that is found underground. It is formed by the remains of prehistoric plants and animals being buried deep in the earth under the right pressure. Coal, therefore, takes millions of years to form.

Pros

There are quite a few pros to using coal as an energy source. Firstly, it's cheap with a low cost per energy unit. It is also reliable as it can be burned at all times of day, during any weather and at any time of year. This is a big advantage because a lot of renewables are weather-dependent (solar, wind, ...).

There is also currently an abundance of coal, enough to last a few hundred years. It is also easy and safe to store, although there are worries regarding air pollution.

The coal industry provides millions of people with jobs and provides countless companies with their main energy source. These companies couldn't function as effectively with renewables due to price differences. The coal industry also creates large amounts of the power needed to meet global energy demands.

Cons

Even though we have enough coal to last 200 years, it will run out.

If we still rely on coal as primary energy source at the time coal becomes depleted, we as humanity will be in serious trouble.

https://environmental-conscience.com/coal-pros-cons/

Coal is nonrenewable so it can never be a long-term solution. Another major problem is air pollution. The combustion of coal leads to small particles in the air we breathe. This bad air quality has been linked to asthma, cancer, heart problems & neurological problems (https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/coal-and-air-pollution). The coal industry also produces large amounts of greenhouse gases, which are released into the atmosphere (carbon dioxide and methane). It can also lead to acid rain.

Here's a short explanation from one of our previous posts:

It's formed by NOX & SO2 reacting with water and oxygen which will turn them into nitrous acid (HNO2), nitric acid (HNO3) & sulfuric acid (H2SO4), meaning that instead of rain being formed from just water, it is instead also mixed with acid. While acid rain won't harm you, it can harm aquatic ecosystems and forests. When the rain falls on water, it will mix with the water and over time acidify it. This will make it uninhabitable for animals and plants. When the rain falls on trees and plants, it will kill the trees by pulling life-depending nutrients from the soil and weakens the plants' natural defence systems.

Acid rain could lead to crop failure which would cause global food shortages. Using coal also makes us very dependent on world market prices which will rise as coal supplies run short leading to even higher energy costs.

Another massive problem is that mining is necessary to extract coal. Mining leads to habitat and biodiversity loss. People are relocated from their homes, and the mining and transportation process produces even more greenhouse gases.

Ever so slightly radioactive waste is produced during coal mining. Although most of this is caught by filters, small amounts of radioactive ash and dust escape and are carried around by the wind. Even though this is currently considered to not be a threat to humans, there are fears of an increase in lung cancer.

Lastly, coal mines are very dangerous for workers and hundreds die every year. There are also allegations of human rights abuse in coal mines in Pakistan.

Conclusion

In our opinion, coal is not a good idea. It may not be currently possible to get rid of it completely, but we need more solutions. Coal is not only dangerous to the environment, but it is also bad for our health.

We hope that we have given you some things to think about with regards to coal and the use of it as an energy source. Thank you so much for being here and taking the time to read this post, we hope it has been informative.

Your Green World Team💚

Sources:
https://environmental-conscience.com/coal-pros-cons/
https://energy4me.org/learn-about-energy/energy-sources/coal/
https://www.britannica.com/science/coal-fossil-fuel
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/coal/
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/coal/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_electricity_by_source
https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/how-is-coal-formed/
https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/coal-and-air-pollution
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15032022/coal-mining-methane/
https://www.epa.gov/radtown/radioactive-wastes-coal-fired-power-plants
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/feb/19/coal-workers-are-orphans-the-children-and-slaves-mining-pakistans-coal

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