Coal

1. Coal Arthur Bryant Jeanne Cannon Ryan Sujkowski

2. Objectives • Brief History • Discuss pros and cons • Analyze the Environmental effects from Coal • Discuss pricing

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

4. Legislation on Coal • 2003- Climate Stewardship Act • EPA helps regulate the emission of the Greenhouse gas • Elaborated version of the Natural Gas Act of 1938 • 2010- Energy Market and Economic Impacts of the American Power Act • Regulates emission of Greenhouse Gas based upon economic incentives • 2013- 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

5. Coal Pricing

6. Environmental Damage • 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

7. Air Pollution • Burning coal is a leading cause of smog, acid rain, & toxic air pollution. • Clean Coal

8. Government Influence • 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

9. Pros/Cons of Coal Mining • PROS • U.S. DOEFE • Set up labs to test clean coal • came up with ways to use CO2 to their advantage • coming up with alternatives for shale fracking.

10. Pros/Cons Con’t • 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

11. Cons con’t • Health Effects • Deep mining • Poor air filtration: black lung • Collapsing • Shaft explosions • Child labor • No OSHA laws outside of the US

12. Conclusion • 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 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILAiQURrMH0

13. Sources • http://www.eia.gov/coal/ • http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/coalpower/gasification/index.html • http://www.worldcoal.org/coal-the-environment/coal-use-the-environment/improving-efficiencies/ • http://www.coalfacts.org/ • http://energy.gov/fe/science-innovation/clean-coal-research/gasification • http://energy.gov/fe/science-innovation/clean-coal-research/hydrogen-coal • http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1870599,00.html • http://coalandfuel.blogspot.com/2008/09/underground-coal-gasification-ucg.html • http://www.worldcoal.org/coal/uses-of-coal/coal-to-liquids/ • http://www.environment.gen.tr/what-is-energy/90-energy-units-and-calculators.html • http://www.cleancoalusa.org/sites/all/files/EPA_Regulations_July_15.pdf • http://www.coal-is-dirty.com/who_we_are • http://quitcoal.org/about • http://ilovemountains.org/act/ • http://www.worldcoal.org/coal-the-environment/coal-mining-the-environment/