Arthur Bryant Jeanne Cannon Ryan Sujkowski

 Brief History  Discuss pros and cons  Analyze the Environmental effects from Coal  Discuss pricing

 Coal has been a source of energy since 2600 years ago  Took flight in 13 th Century in the British Isles  Originally Coal gas was a fad in Britain (1840s)  In the 19 th Century is when the US Coal Industry took flight  Northeast PA is known for being abundant with “Black Diamonds.”

 Climate Stewardship Act  EPA helps regulate the emission of the Greenhouse gas  Elaborated version of the Natural Gas Act of 1938  Energy Market and Economic Impacts of the American Power Act  Regulates emission of Greenhouse Gas based upon economic incentives  Clean Water Act for fossil-fuel and nuclear power plants.  EPA proposed new effluent limitation guidelines (ELGs)  ELGs sets limits on the amount of pollutants that can be discharged into surface waters

 Terrestrial damage/Habitat destruction / fragmentation  Surface mining disrupts virtually all aesthetic elements of the landscape.  Alteration of landforms often imposes unfamiliar and discontinuous configurations.  New linear patterns appear as material is extracted and waste piles are developed.  Different colors/textures are exposed as vegetative cover is removed and overburden dumped to the side.  Dust, vibration, and diesel exhaust odors are created (affecting sight, sound, and smell).  Subsidence  the ground level lowers as a result of coal having been mined beneath.  Aquatic damage/Physical stream damage  mountaintop removal: soil and rock removed is deposited in nearby valleys, hollows and depressions, resulting in blocked (and contaminated) water ways.  Destroy aquifers

 Burning coal is a leading cause of smog, acid rain, & toxic air pollution.  Clean Coal

 Texas Clean Energy Project  Working on technology to capture 90% of Carbon  Received $450,000,000 from Fed. Gov’t  Eliminate the cost and damage of mining  Clinton administration (2003) signed the Fossil Energy Protocol  Better usage of coal and oil  Committed $75,000,000

 PROS  U.S. DOEFE  Set up labs to test clean coal  came up with ways to use CO 2 to their advantage  coming up with alternatives for shale fracking.

 CONS  Quit Coal  Americans spend over half of a trillion dollars on healthcare from environmental impacts from coal.  Sierra Mountain Club  Don’t like because mining destroys mountains and has negative environment impact  Coal is Dirty  Global Warming

 Health Effects  Deep mining  Poor air filtration: black lung  Collapsing  Shaft explosions  Child labor  No OSHA laws outside of the US

 Coal can be converted into other forms of energy  Gasification  Diesel  Besides the opposition, coal is still one of the main sources of energy throughout the world  It is the most economical  rMH0

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