• Background
• Debate
• Country Comparison: US, China, India make most use of coal
• Recent Legislation

Background

Debate

Support

Supporters of moving away from coal power have several reasons: * Coal is like any other fossil fuel; it produces greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide as a result of its combustion. Depending on the number of impurities in the coal, sulfur and nitrogen compounds could be produced, which are the components of acid rain. Particulates are produced, namely soot and smog. * Coal mining has the great potential harm ecosystems. This is because many mining operations use open pit or surface mining techniques, sometimes going so far as to remove trees and level hilltops. * Coal production requires billions of gallons of water that must be used for cooling the extracted mineral. This water is returned to the environment and increases water temperatures. This practice harms temperature-sensitive species that may reside near these operations. * A national policy that promotes energy efficiency will eliminate the need for new coal plants and make American industry more productive and more profitable.

Oppose

The opposition has several reasons of its own why coal use should continue: * Opponents often dismiss the argument about cooling water, as any coal, oil, natural gas, and even nuclear plants must use cooling water. Hydroelectric, solar, and wind plants do not, but the view is that these technologies are not feasible. People often oppose the construction of new dams and wind/solar are not always economically viable or advanced enough to meet the energy consumption needs of many countries. * There is increasing use of "clean coal" technology. This involves the use of carbon dioxide scrubbers, which are chemicals that will extract carbon dioxide from the exhaust gases of power plants, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. * Coal is cheap compared to other forms of electricity, and the reserves are both abundant, as well as available domestically. The United States alone is estimated to have 249,994,000,000 metric tonnes (274,993,400,000 tons) of coal deposits. (Source: United States Department of Energy) Worldwide, the proven reserves will last at current usage for over 200 years, and could provide all electricity needed worldwide for 57 years. (Source: International Energy Data and Analysis)

Country Comparison

• The United States, the People's Republic of China, and India, make up the three largest users of coal as a source of electrical power.
• In many other developed countries, such as France, Britain, Sweden, and Russia, the use of coal is more limited. These nations use nuclear power to a greater degree, except in Russia, where nuclear, oil, and natural gas are the most commonly used sources of electrical power.
• Norway makes use of hydroelectric power plants and has no need for coal.

Recent Legislation