Question

Coal has played a vital role in the civilization of man-kind. Please tell me everything you can about coal. Where do we find it? How is it made? What are its advantages? Disadvantages? And lastly, tell me everything about our use of coal and its impact on the environment.

Answer 1

Answer: Coal is one of the most important primary fossil fuels, a solid carbon-rich material that is usually brown or black and most often occurs in stratified sedimentary deposits. It is a non-renewable fossil fuel that can be burned to generate electricity. It is composed mostly of carbon and hydrocarbons, which contain energy that can be released through combustion. It is the largest source of energy for generating electricity in the world, and the most abundant fossil fuel.

How is it made?-  

Coal is formed when dead plant matter submerged in swamp environments is subjected to the geological forces of heat and pressure over hundreds of millions of years. Over time, the plant matter transforms from moist, low-carbon peat, to coal, energy- and carbon-dense black or brownish-black sedimentary rock.

It can be categorized into four main types, or ranks—lignite, sub-bituminous, bituminous, and anthracite—in order of increasing carbon and energy content. The fifth type is metallurgical (or “coking”) coal, is used for steelmaking.

Where do we find it?

There are an estimated 1.1 trillion tonnes of proven coal reserves worldwide. are available in every continent and almost every country worldwide, with recoverable reserves in around 70 countries. The biggest reserves are in the USA, Russia, China, Australia, and India.

Advantages of using coal energy

• Coal energy is an affordable energy source because of the coal’s stable price compared to other fuel sources
• It is easy to burn and produces high energy upon combustion
• Inexpensive and cheaper compared to other sources such as oil and gas and Nuclear energy
• It is abundant
• And it is a reliable energy source
• From Coal Mining to Power Generation/Other Utilities it comprises of lot of activities - Both directly & Indirectly providing Employment to any person.
• It doesn’t depend on the weather like (wind & solar) available for 24 x 7
• Investment is low when compared with other energy sources of the same capacity power generation

Disadvantages

• It is not environmental friendly because it produces harmful byproducts and gas emissions such as sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxide that causes pollution to the environment including acid rain
• Coal energy is a nonrenewable energy source and is fast depleting.
• Coal mining ruins the environment and puts the lives of people especially the coal miners in danger
• Coal mining leads to land sliding, deforestation, climatic change, etc

Its uses

1. The coal is burned and the heat given off is used to convert water into steam, which drives a turbine. (courtesy of USGS). That Turbine generates Electrical Energy (power plants, power stations, etc)
2. or Mechanical Energy (Heat drives pistons - old-time trains)
3. Steel production (steel is found in ores and in order to refine it, we need Carbon and as it turns out, Coal is rich in Carbon)
4. Cement production (Carbon fiber is one of the byproducts of coal, therefore it’s light and yet strong. And when this happens you are dealing with a lot of applications)
5. Methane (Coal bed methane formations trap Methane (ethane as well), so you are talking a lot of Natural Gas supply.

Impact on the environment: It is the biggest source of global warming and climate change

• It releases a number of airborne toxins and pollutants. They include mercury, lead, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates, and various other heavy metals which have health impacts ranging from asthma to brain damage, heart problems, cancer, etc.
• Leftover ash from coal ends up in ponds, lakes, landfills, and other sites where, over time, it can contaminate waterways and drinking water supplies.
• Coal dust stirred up during the mining process, as well as released during coal transport, which can cause severe and potentially deadly respiratory problems
• Forest destruction caused by mountaintop removal mining.
• Coal contains minor amounts of the radioactive elements, uranium and thorium.  When coal is burned, the fly ash contains uranium and thorium "at up to 10 times their original levels.