There has been plenty of talk about clean coal energy as a possible solution to our energy crisis. However, many wonder what exactly is clean coal energy?
Coal as a Power Source
Coal is cheap, plentiful, and easy to burn. The hydrocarbons of plant material store a tremendous amount of energy, and burning the coal causes them to rip apart with intensity.
Unfortunately, coal energy is also horrible for the environment. Coal is made up of the compressed remains of thousands of years of plant matter, and because plants take in CO2 when they breathe, dead plants are rich with the greenhouse gas. When plants store CO2 like this, it is known as carbon sequestration. Due to this sequestration, coal is full of carbon waiting to be released. Much of the CO2 that was in the earth’s early atmosphere is now stored in coal. [4]
The Threat to the Environment
Millions of years ago, there was far more CO2 in the atmosphere, and the planet was much warmer. Plants took advantage of this environment to inflate to sizes that we haven’t seen since. However, times change. The earth has cooled, and the environment has adapted to the lower levels of CO2. When we burn coal, we are releasing the CO2 that was sequestered long ago back into the environment, and it is believed to be causing a major climactic shift that many climate scientists feel will have serious consequences to us as a species. First, the warmer weather can cause the sea level to rise. The Carboniferous era, where the most coal is located, is known for large, shallow oceans, and this in part is due to the higher water elevation. Unfortunately, we tend to like coastal areas. There are already some small inhabited islands under threat from the rising sea level. Tuvalu, for example, has recently given up its fight against the rising currents and is looking for a new home for its 11,000 inhabitants. [3] Then there are the mining concerns. One of the most popular ways to mine coal is through open pit mining, where an entire area is stripped of dirt and the coal is just pulled off the exposed seams. There is also the threat to human life: coal dust and smoke is estimated to shorten the lives of 24,000 people a year. [1] There are also radiation concerns, the release of poisonous materials into the environment, and the threat of acid rain. Clearly, coal isn’t a friendly fuel.
Clean Coal
Coal power may fuel most of the world’s electricity demands, but green energy advocates have roasted it for its poor environmental record. In response to changing public opinion, coal companies are seeking ways to do their own sequestration. Many approaches to clean coal tackle it by filtering the exhaust gas. That is, after all, how the CO2 and various other hazards get into the air. If all the hazards are filtered out of the exhaust, then a coal power plant could be called “green.” The problem is that most estimates put commercial availability of clean coal technology at 20 years out. In the meantime, coal energy will keep pumping out toxic fumes. Others dispute the very idea that coal can be clean. No matter how clean the burning is, you still have to extract it, and that involves ripping up mountainsides. [2]
Sources:
1. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5174391/
2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/29/ar2008022903390.html
3. http://www.earth-policy.org/updates/update2.htm
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/coal
