(coal notes L-1)
Renewable resources – resources replaced as they used
Ex. Water, plants (trees), air, sun
Nonrenewable Resources have a limited supply
Ex. Minerals and Fossil fuels
Fossil Fuels – Forms of stored energy that are remains of living
things made primarily of carbon and hydrogen through the process
of carbonization. Ex. coal, oil, natural gas
*Carbonization – The decomposition of plants releasing gases
which change the chemical composition of the plants leaving only
carbon and hydrogen.
Coal- decomposed vegetation which is turned into solid brittle rock
when it is compressed over a long period of time.
- most abundant fossil fuel
- less expensive than coal
- least efficient for energy production compared to oil and N.G
- should last for about 250 years at the current rate of use in the
U.S.
- use decreased during the 40’s and 50’s because oil and gas were
easier to use but has been increasing use since the Arab Oil
Embargo of 1973 (look it up)
- It is now used mainly for the generation of electricity
- Mostly transported by train or barge
- China is the major producer and the U.S. is second
- The most pollutant fossil fuel
Problems with coal
- contains sulfur causing air pollution when burned. – makes acid
rain
- high amounts of air pollution (CO2 and SO2) are given off by coal
power plants
- causes more air pollution when burned than any other fossil fuel
- mining causes land and water pollution (see mining notes)
Types of Coal – pg. 446
(Describe each of the following fuels)
Peat  Lignite  Subbituminous  Bituminous  Anthracite
Coke – coal that was heated without oxygen to made carbon to
blend with iron to make steel
Centralia coal fire video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkHfnp2czZQ
coal mining video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeXLuaEsNx0
Coal Mining
- Underground mining – dangerous ex. Collapsed mines, fires, gas
explosions, and black lung – lungs are coated in coal dust
- Strip Mining - the overlying layer of rock is stripped to get to the
coal from the surface – This is cheaper, safer, and yields 3X
more coal than underground mining
Problems with strip mining
- less than one-half of the mines have been reclaimed
(restored to their natural state)
- Acid Mine Drainage is when water reacts with minerals in the
open mine forming highly acidic water, polluting the environment
and killing aquatic organisms and waterfowl
Solutions to coal use
- Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 requires that mined
land be restored to its primary use (forest, field, etc.)
- Clean Air Act of 1990 forces companies to reduce the emissions
(release) of SO2 and NO2 when burning coal
- more coal in this country is coming from the mid-west instead of
the east because it contains less sulfur
- new technologies are being invented to reduce air pollutants from
coal (scrubber - sprays the gas with lime or calcium water binding
the SO2, causing it to settle out – expensive process to install)
*Using natural gas is cleaner because it releases one-half the CO2
and SO2 of coal
Synthetic Fuels – Fuels produced by chemically changing fossil
fuels like coal. They are cleaner burning pgs 446 -447
Ex. Liquid Coal –
Coal gas –
Oil Shale –
 These processes are expensive and require a lot of water. The
production process is very dirty. They actually produce more
CO2.
 These fuels are not yet a major energy source