Energy Resources

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Everything on Earth revolves around energy. Whether it involves plants, animals, or humans. The activities we do every day in our households, and the tasks that occur worldwide, use energy, that will eventually run out. That is why we need to conserve the energy resources we have, and search to find an alternate resource.
Coal is one the three main fossil fuels. It is composed of living materials, which classifies it as a fossil fuel. It is also classified by its hardness, moisture, and heat content. There are several types of coal, but three main types of coal make up most of the world’s supply. Anthracite is the hardest coal, containing the most BTU content. Bituminous coal has the medium hardness. Lignite is the softest coal. Coal’s chemical composition is a mix of many elements including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and nitrogen. (Illinois Coal Association, 2013)
Coal is formed on the ocean and sea floors. When plants die, they fall to the bottom of the ocean and become pressurized into peat. More and more layers of dead plants cover the peat and get dried into coal. (Illinois Coal Association, 2013) This process is called coalification, which is when peat is altered physically and chemically. Peat deposits are generally formed in waterlogged environments. (University of Kentucky, 2012)
Coal can be mined many different ways, but there are two main types that produce the highest percentage of coal; surface and underground mining. Almost 60 percent of coal is mined from surface mines. Most underground mines are located east of the Mississippi River. About 20 percent of coal mined in the U.S comes from longwall mining. Longwall mining is an underground mine that cuts coal of a wall in slices. (National Energy Foundation, ...

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...//www.nnr.co.za/what-is-nuclear-energy/
9. Nuclear Energy Institute. (2013, October 24). Costs of nuclear energy. Retrieved from http://www.nei.org/Knowledge-Center/Nuclear-Statistics/Costs-Fuel,-Operation,-Waste-Disposal-Life-Cycle
10. Conserve-Energy-Future. (2013, October 24). Disadvantages of nuclear energy. Retrieved from http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/Disadvantages_NuclearEnergy.php
11. NC State University. (2013, October 25). International politics - nuclear energy. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/a/ncsu.edu/nuclear-energy/politics/foreign
12. Business Insider. (2013). Reasons to lower your driving time. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/13-reasons-you-should-bike-to-work-2012-10
13. Kentucky Coal Association. (2007). 10 reasons why coal is a good energy source. Retrieved from http://www.coaleducation.org/q&a/10_reasons_why_coal.htm

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