There's a story laced with good news and bad news for every energy
type. If you're confused about which ones are clean and which ones
aren't, you're not alone.
An affordable and abundant local fuel in the U.S., coal is
also one of the most destructive. Not only does burning coal
emit millions of tons of greenhouse gases, aging coal-fired
power plants are exempt from the Clean Air Act and are
allowed to contribute massive amounts of air pollution
to the environment, including acid rain-causing sulfur
dioxide, by the thousands of tons. Mercury, too, can cause
untold human health problems, with just 1/70th of a
teaspoon possessing the ability to poison a 25-acre lake.
Other coal pollutants include particulate matter that
contributes to asthma and premature deaths; nitrogen
oxide which contributes to smog and respiratory illness;
carbon monoxide that exacerbates heart disease and headaches; as well as cancer-causing arsenic, lead, cadmium
and other heavy metals.
Besides air pollution, just one coal plant generates
125,000 tons of ash and 193,000 tons of sludge containing
mercury, chromium, arsenic and cadmium annually, most
of which is disposed of in unlined landfills, poisoning
groundwater and soil. Coal plants also release heated
water into nearby lakes and streams, causing thermal
pollution that damages fish populations.
“Clean” coal is a group of technologies that attempts to
minimize these problems using methods such as treating
flue gases for removing air pollutants, coal washing with
chemicals and minerals to remove impurities and capturing
carbon to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Making news as of late is the controversial subject
of nuclear. It offers many environmental benefits: lower
greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution being the
most important. Uranium is plentiful in the U.S. and is an
incredibly concentrated fuel, with just one pound producing
the equivalent energy of three million pounds of coal.
But uranium is radioactive, which creates hazards
throughout the lifecycle. Not only do nuclear power
plants pose threats to local populations from potential
meltdowns, they are also excellent terrorist targets. And
as we know, even the most modern nuclear plants are not
impervious to the impacts of natural disasters.