As a fossil genre of ancient corrupting trees and plants, coal has played a critical role in every aspect of human life via burning itself to release a high level of energy. Since 2000, global coal consumption has grown faster than any other fuel. The five largest coal users- China, USA, India, Russia and Japan, account for 76% of total global coal use(WORLD COAL ASSOCIATION, 2015). So it can be seen that coal mining contributes effectively to the development of global industry and the growth of world economy. Nevertheless, there are also some adverse results produced by coal mining in terms of the environmental and health issues. Both positive and negative consequences of coal mining will be presented in the following paragraphs.
One significant …show more content…
It can give rise to a number of environmental issues such as soil erosion, water, noise and dust pollution, and impacts on the local biodiversity. As is known to all, the raw material of coal mining is made of carbon. When burned, the carbon combines with oxygen and creates carbon dioxide which is one of the main contributors to global warming and air pollution. On the other hand, when rain falls on the coal stored in piles outside, the water that comes from these piles may contain heavy metal like arsenic and lead, which can seep into the land or nearby bodies of water, thereby killing fish and plant life on the way.
To conclude, coal mining has been utilized prevalently throughout the world because of the fact that it can produce cheap electricity and promote the economy, whereas the application of this type of industry is suggested to be abandoned due to the truth that it can raise serious risks to humans and the environment people live in. Government and relevant coal mining associations should take action to balance the advantages against the disadvantages of using coal mining, because humans cannot pursue the great progress in industry and economy at the expense of their
One significant …show more content…
It can give rise to a number of environmental issues such as soil erosion, water, noise and dust pollution, and impacts on the local biodiversity. As is known to all, the raw material of coal mining is made of carbon. When burned, the carbon combines with oxygen and creates carbon dioxide which is one of the main contributors to global warming and air pollution. On the other hand, when rain falls on the coal stored in piles outside, the water that comes from these piles may contain heavy metal like arsenic and lead, which can seep into the land or nearby bodies of water, thereby killing fish and plant life on the way.
To conclude, coal mining has been utilized prevalently throughout the world because of the fact that it can produce cheap electricity and promote the economy, whereas the application of this type of industry is suggested to be abandoned due to the truth that it can raise serious risks to humans and the environment people live in. Government and relevant coal mining associations should take action to balance the advantages against the disadvantages of using coal mining, because humans cannot pursue the great progress in industry and economy at the expense of their