The U.S. has a quarter of the world’s coal reserves.
1.7 trillion tons of coal remains
27 out of 50 states contain coal deposits.
Last year, exports totaled 59.2 million short tons
Geopolitics
Coal is cheap, abundant, and available
Coal is recoverable in 70 countries
Estimated to last 147 years
Oil and gas reserves only 41-63 years
Environmental Costs
Coal is the dirtiest source of energy
Produces solid waste, air pollution, acid rain and global warming.
130 million tons of solid waste per year
3,700,000 tons of carbon dioxide
10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide
Acid Rain
Can wipe out entire sections of forests
Damages leave
removes nutrients
poisoned by release of aluminum
Aquatic Life
Coal-fired plants use 2.2 billion gallons of water yearly.
Drag 21 million fish eggs, larva, young fish
1.5 million fish trapped in filtering cycle
Thermal pollution -extremely hot water
-decreases fish fertility
Global warming
Coal is the biggest pollutant of carbon dioxide.
Coal-fired plants nationwide account for 40% of carbon dioxide released
by the U.S.
2,245 million metric tons per year.
Output of 1.35 pounds of carbon per kilo watt hour
Projected world consumption of coal projected to climb from 8.2% to 22.7%
in 2010.
Health cost
In addition to carbon and sulfur:
-10,200 tons of nitrogen oxide
-720 tons of carbon monoxide
-275 tons of arsenic
-500 tons of airborne particles
-170 pounds of mercury
24,000 premature deaths: cancer from arsenic, mercury poisoning
550,00 asthma attacks: particle matter
38,000 heart attacks: particle matter
12,000 hospital admissions
carbon monoxide-stress with heart disease
nitrogen oxide-respiratory illness
Course of Action
Switch to “green energy”
Clean coal = 17 cents per KWh
Solar power = 12.7 cents per KWh
Wind power = 9 cents per KWh
Conserve energy
China only averages 1/5 amount of energy per person
Planet cannot sustain rate of American consumption