Coal By: J.J. O’Bannon and James Pease

What is coal used for?

Coal is grinded into a very fine powder and then is burned, then the burning coal heats water in a boiler, which creates steam. The steam is then released which turns a turbine that powers a generator. The generator then produces electricity.

Uses of Coal Coal is used to create almost half of all electricity generated in the United States. Power plants burn coal to make steam. The steam turns turbines (machines for generating rotary mechanical power) that generate electricity. In addition to companies in the electric power sector, industries and businesses with their own power plants use coal to generate electricity.

The energy produced from coal is used to power many of the items that we use every day A variety of industries use coal's heat and by-products. Separated ingredients of coal (such as methanol and ethylene) are used in making plastics, tar, synthetic fibers, fertilizers, and medicines.

Coal is also used to make steel. Coal is baked in hot furnaces to make coke, which is used to smelt iron ore into iron needed for making steel. It is the very high temperatures created from the use of coke that gives steel the strength and flexibility for things like bridges, buildings, and automobiles.

Where does coal come from?

Open pit mines

Strip Mines

Underground Mining Most dangers and hazardous for the worker Produces lots of coal

Pro: Plentiful Coal is one of the world's most plentiful energy sources. According to the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas, Texas, the United States has 25 percent of the world's known coal reserves. Pro: Inexpensive Compared with other energy sources, such as oil and natural gas, coal is inexpensive, which free market policy analysts and coal industry lobbyists say will mean lower energy bills for consumers and businesses. Pro: Versatile Coal is not only burned directly, but it can also be transformed into liquid or gas form. Proponents claim that liquefied or gasified coal burns cleaner, meaning less air pollution. Pro’s

Cons Con: Pollution Coal-fired power plants are a major source of air pollution, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. Environmentalists also claim coal burning contributes to acid rain and releases large amounts of carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming. Con: Health Concerns Air pollution from coal-burning poses a health hazard, especially for individuals with respiratory diseases, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. Con: Nonrenewable Like other fossil fuels, coal is a nonrenewable energy source.

The main legislation that applies to air pollution is the Clean Air Act (CAA). Under the CAA the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set limits on the amount of certain pollutants that can be released into the air. By using technology that either traps the pollutants before they are released into the air or that changes them into less harmful pollutants, the amount of air pollution can be controlled. Burning greater amounts of coal however, would mean that more pollutants would need to be controlled through these methods. What are they doing to help

Clean Coal Technology Cleaner Refinement Clean coal is extremely clean- burning fuel that could potentially reduce our dependency upon oil. Over time, as utilities, power plants and manufacturers shift to our clean coal, we can achieve major advances in reducing pollution throughout the globe.

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