Coal is one of the major source of energy and is formed by the prolonged decaying of the organic material for million of years. It is one of the major source of energy and is a non- renewable resource of energy. It takes millions of years to get these resources back, it is a wise decision to use them patiently. The process to heat the coal and get the energy through burning of the coal is a very essential step and it requires a plenty of time, hence making it as one of the most precious source of energy that should be preserved and used wisely. However, using coal as a source of energy comprises of many facts that makes it accompanied with positive as well as negative effects. Researchers have claimed that there many factors that should be considered while considering the use of coal as energy.
Let us discuss the associated factors that makes it positive to be used. To start with, we have major benefits in the list:
Positive Effects of Coal:
- Cheapest source of energy: Coal has been considered as one of the cheapest source of energy. As compared to nuclear, natural gas oil. This ability to use it without any much of expense. Hence, making it one of the resourceful resource to be used. It can save a lot of money that could be further used for other purposes. It is more of a reliable source that can lead to onset of many processes through its energy.
- Stable source of energy: With coal, you can be assured to get a stable source of energy that can lasts for a longer time of period. There is no sudden scarcity of this resource, hence many of the huge projects can blindly rely on it.
- Good for economy: As mentioned above, coal is an inexpensive source of energy. It shows that the usage of coal can relate to increase the economy of the country. It burns less of fossil fuels, hence makes it a good option to build a good economy of the country.
- Easy to burn: Coal is the best source of energy as it is easy to burn and produce energy, making it compatible to be used in every purpose. Its highly inflammable property makes it a grounded and admirable choice to be used widely.
All the above-mentioned factors, makes coal one of the most important source of energy to be used. However, there are many negative effects of coal that are also associated with the usage of coal. Let’s have a look on them.
Negative Effects of Coal:
- Air Pollution: One of the most obvious negative effect of Coal is that it causes air pollution. With the burning of coal, there is a high probability of having associated air pollution with the usage of coal.
- Water pollution: Just like air pollution, water pollution is also a major reason that makes it difficult to cope with the burning of coal. Hence, adding one more disadvantage of using coal as an energy source. Water we drink, is in a danger by getting combined with the pollutants of coal burning.
- Toxicity: The increased toxic effects that are accompanied with coal are found to be dangerous for the overall health of the individual. Hence, it is advised to avoid the use of coal.
- Radiation: Coal has been found to be associated with the trace elements of radium and uranium, which can lead to radioactive contamination. Experts believes that burning of coal processing plants to produce dangerous levels of radioactive waste.
- Acid Rain: The scariest part of using coal mining is that it can lead to the threat of acid rain, hence perpetuating the cycle of pollution. Eventually, it can lead to damage to many of the species. This makes, coal as an imperfect choice in reference to the environmental ambience of earth. If the equilibrium of the natural cycle gets disturbed, it can lead to many of the unwanted results.
Keeping all the points in mind, we can draw the conclusion that Coal has its own positive as well as negative drawbacks that needs to be taken in account before taking any decision on the usage of it. Energy is required at a large platform to carry out many of the things but at the same time, we can not deny from the fact that the irreversible damage done by coal needs to be stopped at the earliest.