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Geologic time
the billion of years occupied by the earth's geologic history
Smog
a fog made heavier and darker by particulates and chemical fumes
Toxin
a poisonous substance that is usually very unstable and notably harmful when introduced into the tissues
Coal
started as plants settle to the bottom of swamps, were covered by sediment, compacted, and cooked to be made
Throughout geologic time, Earth has been hotter and wetter, swamps and bogs were widespread,
and in all these places today, we find coal
Coal doesn’t need to be
refined, purified, or enriched (just dig it out of the ground, store it in a heap- for a day or a decade- and burn it when you need it)
Coal-fired electricity is cheap because
coal is simple, available, and cheap
Nearly every Western country developed on
coal (now China and India are too)
Coal is the world's leading electricity source, and global use
continues to rise
Coal lifts countries out of
poverty
When coal is burned it emits
nitrogen oxides, which cause smog; sulfur oxide, which causes acid rain. These together are damaging to human lungs. They are heavy metals and toxins like mercury, lead, uranium, and arsenic mixed in with the coals and large volumes of ash, and CO2
In some places coal mining can be
dangerous and environmentally damaging
Coal represents the economic v. environmental tradeoff
simple, affordable electricity available in almost every country, offset by the fact that it's dirty (releases a lot of bad things and is dangerous to get)
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