Coal Mining Essay

Communities where coal mining exists tend to have great advantages, but there are always disadvantages with those benefits. Coal mining is a great energy source suppling about 30% of the entire energy needs over the world, producing 40% of electricity. Where there is coal, there are jobs, roughly 130,000 people are employed in the coal industry. As the demand for coal continues to rise, employment will also increase, raising employment rates. Coal mining is practiced because it is an inexpensive source of energy. The process of coal extraction is not difficult, whether it takes place on the surface or underground, miners are not required to go deep into the earth every time. Unlike oil, when transporting coal, it is easier and cheaper. The

These are some ways that coal mining contributes but the coal industry is full of disadvantages. As it proclaims to earth, the environment is drastically effected by coal. When we burn coal we emit harmful wastes including, carbon and sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid, as well as nitrogen oxide. The release of CO2, from burning coal makes up 65% more carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere. When industries mine for coal, they affect not only their employees’ health and safety but also the community and surrounding areas. The miners get sick from inhaling fumes and risk getting caved-in and explosions in their workplace. The health of people from local communities near the dig sites are prone to respiratory disease such as, lung cancer, black lung, heart failure and damage to the nervous system from the mercury and the other heavy metals

The problems negatively affect the atmosphere in three dimensions: social, political, economic/environmental. Social dimensions interpret the impact the mining company has on the communities nearby. Key issues are water pollution and slurry spills. Nearby rivers and streams get contaminated by the overburden of earth that is dumped when mining coal. The water is full of toxic waste that can be harmful towards animals and local communities. The coal industry made way for mass political movements and extended the economic development. Economic dimensions represent the company impact on the financial conditions of its investors and economic systems at local, national, and global levels. Environmental dimensions relate to the health and effects coal mining has on the atmosphere. There are many negative distress coal has on the environment let alone the health effects it has on the human population, plant life, wildlife. Air pollution is a key issue as it portrays to the environment. Nitrous oxide, Sulphur oxide, particulate matter, and fly ash are few negative events that following mining coal. Nitrogen oxides are formed when oxygen and nitrogen gases exist in high temperature coal ignition. When combined with other chemicals creates an oxidizing chemical that damages the lungs. Sulfur oxides formed when coal is burned. These oxides can form a sulfuric acid, which leads to the destruction of plants and buildings