1. Coal: Not Just a Black Rock
Melville, Alyssa
Nguyen, Thaomy
Samson, Carole

2. What is Coal? A solid fossil fuel
Consists of plant remains from millions of years ago that was subjected to immense heat and pressure
Elemental components: carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, and small amounts of mercury
Types of coal:
Anthracite (86-97% carbon)
Bituminous (45-86% carbon)
Subbituminous (35-45% carbon)
Lignite (25-35% carbon)

4. Source
Coal beds or seams are found in underground reserves or within mountains.
Coal is formed along water sources so can be found in areas that are swampy or used to be a wetland.
Coal is found under layers of sandstone, shale, and limestone.

5. Top 10 Hard Coal Producers in 2010
People’s Republic of China
United States of America
India
Australia
South Africa
Russia
Indonesia
Kazakhstan
Poland
Columbia
This is Indonesia's flag 
This is Poland’s flag 

6. Coal Production Within the U.S.

7. Current Proven Coal Reserves
For interactive map:

8. Efficiency and Cost
The average efficiency of all coal power stations around the world is 31%.
The total cost of extraction and combustion of coal in the U.S. is $120 billion a year.
In a year, coal results in $74.6 billion in health costs.
Consequences of air pollutant emission causes $187.5 billion.
Coal usage is about 17.8¢ per kilowatt hour.

9. Equipment (Extraction)
Explosives
Hand tools
Includes pick axes and shovels
Heavy equipment
Includes bulldozers, drills, motor scrapers, bucket wheel excavator

10. Equipment (Use) Coal Bunker Pulverizer/Mill Boiler Steam Turbines
Generator
Condenser
Filter
Water Purifier
Substation/Transformer

11. Consumption
Coal is used to produce 62% of the world’s electricity and 50% of the United States’ electricity.
18 billion tons of coal was used for commercial energy globally.
1,596,150,000 tons of coal were used in the U.S. in 2010

13. Usage
Components of coal are used to make plastics, tar, synthetic fibers, cement, fertilizer, ceramics, and various chemicals.
Methanol and ethylene, both found in coal, are used in medicines.
When baked, coal turns into coke. The coke is then used to smelt iron ore to make steel.
Coal is burned to generate electricity.
In the United States, 93% of total coal is used to generate electricity.

14. Advantages High net energy yield With government subsides, low cost
Easily combustible
Versatile in use
Currently abundant
Easy to transport

15. Disadvantages Nonrenewable
Degradation/Destruction of ecosystems when mined
Air, water, and land pollution
Emits carbon dioxide (primary greenhouse gas), sulfur dioxide (contributes to acid rain), particulates (leads to respiratory diseases), mercury (linked to neurological damage), and nitrogen oxides (leads to respiratory diseases)
Hazardous to human health
Extraction can lead to death