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Renewable Energy: The Pros And Cons Of Coal

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Coal is an important resource that is used by humans every day, but what is it? Coal was naturally formed and now we extract it and put it to use. Though coal is a great help to many households, there are many disadvantages as well as advantages.

Coal is a sedimentary rock that is made up of mainly carbon and has the capability of being burnt as a fuel and can bring electricity to people from around the world. Thermal coal produces around forty-one percent of the worlds electricity because it is reliable and cheap, costing only eighty-five U.S. dollars per metric ton in 2017. And coal isn’t just used for electricity, coking coal (may also be known as metallurgic coal) plays a major role in steel production around the world. Therefore, coal …show more content…

The first step occurs when different living matter dies on top of the surface, this matter is then decomposed by bacteria. This plant matter is then buried, causing no more are to come in contact with it, anaerobic bacteria then starts to decompose the matter some more. When this mixture, known as peat, is buried deep enough, substances like water are squeezed out. This increases the pressure. The final step occurs when the overall amount of water in the coal decreases, making the coal denser. Overall, it takes around 300 million years to form. It is unknown how coal was first discovered, but it is known that it was used by the Chinese 6’000 years ago and by 1100 CE they had discovered that the impurities can be removed from coal to create coke. There are to methods of coal extraction. These are Underground mining and Surface mining (also known as open-cut mining). Underground mining is mostly used for a large percentage of the worlds coal, while Surface mining is only affordable when the coal is near the surface. Surface mining is completed by removing the top soil and rocks with explosions until the coal is exposed, when the coal is exposed the drilling starts. The coal is then loaded onto the backs of truck before being transported to the required destinations. Coal has been forming naturally underground for millions of years, from animal to fuel, and now we are digging it up, extracting it, so it can be used towards the comfort of humans, not only in Australia, but around the

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