Pros And Cons Of Coal Burning

Gabriel always loved having energy in his house. He could watch television and play video games all thanks to the coal mine a few miles away. Little did he know that his source of energy would be the reason for his trip to the hospital. According to Greenpeace USA, it has been estimated that coal pollution is the cause of 12,000 emergency room visits yearly. Although a majority of the United States energy is from coal, coal mining and burning should be discontinued because it is dangerous and harmful to humans, it is a leading cause for pollution, and there are cleaner and safer sources for our energy. Before digging into why coal mining and burning should be discontinued, the opposition must be considered and understood. Many argue that

Coal mining has always been known to be dangerous for humans. According to the well known environmental group Greenpeace USA, “[…] 13,000 people die each year from coal pollution” and there is no way that coal will stop producing pollution like it is now (Greenpeace USA). That is the worst of the harm that coal causes because it kills innocent civilians who live in areas that are heavily polluted because of the act of mining and burning coal. Additionally, when it comes to coal miners there are “[…] 29,000 cases of mesothelioma and 26,000 cases of Black Lung” (Greenpeace USA). These two diseases are proven to be deadly and it shows that the people who work in the coal mines are not safe and that the the work environment is not one that should be worked in. With these statistics, it is obvious that coal mining and burning has been harmful and even deadly to workers and civilians living around it and this is why coal mining and burning should be

Coal mining and burning is one of the biggest causes for global warming because of the carbon dioxide it releases when it is burned for energy. According to Environment Americas manager Travis Madsen, when it comes to electricity generation, “[…] coal is responsible for 84 percent of all carbon dioxide pollution” (Madsen and Sargent). This shows that out of all the ways electricity is generated, coal produces 84 percent of that carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere. This is a big deal because it contributes to global warming which is causing the earth to slowly warm up and can be dangerous for humans now or in the future. Coal mining is also proven to produce air pollution also known as smog. According to one of the largest environmental groups called the Sierra Club, “Persistent smog pollution can alter and disrupt plant growth over time” and it is estimated that this causes “[…] $500 million loss due to reduced crop production” annually (Sierra Club). To a country that is already in so much debt, the United States cannot keep losing this much money because of horrible air pollution that is mainly caused by coal mining and burning. With how serious pollution has got recently, America needs to do everything it can to reduce how much pollution is given off. One way to stop producing that pollution is to cut off coal mining and burning