Coal Burning Power Plants:

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Coal Burning Power Plants The Good and the Bad
BioFanatics Michael Thomas Anthony Rossi
Keiston Wirick Heather Hatmaker
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THESIS

• Although coal burning power plants are a
  reliable, available and cost effective source of
  energy they release dangerous amounts of mercury
  and other pollutants into the environment each
  year. Thus it is essential to find alternative
  equally reliable sources of energy that will not
  produce harmful effects on the environment.

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Negative Effects on the Environment

• Each year thousands of pounds of mercury are
  released into the environment from the processing
  of coal, coal combustion and waste (Coequyt et.
  al 1999).
• Restrictions on fishing and fish consumption due
  to mercury contamination can pose problems to the
  almost 42 billion fish and fishing industry
  nation wide (U.S. Geolocial Survey).
• Greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide, which
  contribute to global warming, are produced during
  coal combustion (Tree power No date given).
• Addition to greenhouse gasses, uranium and
  thorium are the main radioactive materials
  released during coal combustion (Treepower No
  date given).
• Sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides released are
  largely responsible for much of acid rain
  (Coequyt et al 1999).

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Detrimental Effects

• According to a report release by the EPA, coal
  fire plants emit nearly 23,000 pounds of mercury
  into the air annually (Coequyt et. al 1999).
• Mercury released into the environment can cause
  mercury poisoning in humans and other organisms
  Picture 3 (McCann 1999).
• Scientific studies have also implicated that
  methyl mercury is also responsible for a low pH
  level in water. Some of the side effects of low
  pH in water includes increase in permeability in
  the gills of fish and higher concentrations of
  bio-available methyl mercury (Coequyt et.al.
  1999).

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Picture5. Tempe, Arizona Solar Power plant
(Arizona State University)
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Continued

• Bioaccumulated methylmercury has been shown to
  cause birth defects in infants such as delayed
  walking, talking, speaking, or as subtle memory,
  behavioral and learning effects. In adults,
  deterioration of nervous system impaired
  hearing, speech and vision involuntary muscle
  movement corrosion of skin and mucous membranes
  and can cause chewing and swallowing to become
  difficult (U.S. Geological Survey).

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Continued

• Figure 2 represents the U.S. and the worlds
  release of Uranium and Thorium (in metric tons)
  into the environment that emit low-level
  radiation since the year 1937 (Treepower No date
  specified).

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Continued

• Mercury released into the environment can cause
  mercury poisoning in humans and other organisms
  Picture 3 (McCann 1999).

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Economic Advantages to Coal Burning Power Plants

• Coal burning power plants are relatively
  inexpensive and available compared to alternate
  forms of energy production.
• Coal burning power plants are readily available.
• Coal is proven to be a reliable source of energy.
• In comparison to other forms of energy, coal is
  inexpensive to maintain and operate.
• Due to government regulations on nuclear power
  plants, coal burning plants are less expensive to
  build.

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Economic Advantages

• With coal mining industries being well
  established and having adequate technologies, the
  worlds vast reserves of coal are ready to be
  utilized (Nuclear Power Pro/Con No date
  specified).
• On average, coal combustion plants are one fourth
  as expensive as natural gas burning generation.
  In 2000 the 25 lowest cost power plants were
  fired by coal (Nuclear Power Pro/Con No date
  specified).

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Continued

• As shown in picture 4, the use of nuclear power
  is very unreliable and in some cases disaster may
  occur (Treepower No date specified).

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Continued

• The lead time for planning coal-burning power
  plants is considerably less than that for nuclear
  plants (Nuclear Power Pro/Con No date specified).
• Grids are already in place to distribute coal
  power plants, but new long distance transmission
  lines for wind power generators cost as much as
  200,000 per mile (UCSUSA 2002).
• Coal burning power plants are already
  established, while new nuclear, wind and/or solar
  power plants would have to be built which have a
  high initial cost (UCSUSA 2002).

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• Wind and Solar power plants require a large area
  as many wind mills and solar panels are
  needed to produce a substantial amount of energy
• (UCSUSA 2002).

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Conclusion

• Even though coal combustion is economically
  advantageous, there are still too many ill
  effects on the environment and to humans. Each
  year, millions of tons of mercury and other
  harmful chemicals are pouring into the atmosphere
  finding their way into water and aquatic animals.
  Through bioaccumulation, the levels of mercury
  poisoning escalate almost exponentially within
  animals which can then be passed on to humans and
  other animals. As well as harming animals and
  ourselves, the combustion of coal also releases
  millions of tons of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse
  gas, which is widely considered to be a
  contributor to global warming. Time is of the
  essence. Finding alternate methods of energy
  production as readily available, with the ability
  to meet energy needs and more economically
  friendly may not be a viable option for the short
  term. Yet, for long term, utilizing wind and/or
  solar power which emit no environmental pollution
  could prove to be more cost effective and would
  be undoubtedly more environmentally friendly.

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Literature Cited

• Energy and the Environment. Treepower. No date
  specified. 9 Apr. 2005 lt http//www.treepower.org/
  biomass/quickfacts.htmlgt
• Ukrainian Web. VirtualWare Technologies.
  1997-2003. 5 Apr. 2005
• lthttp//www.ukrainianweb.com/images/chernobyl/cher
  nobyl_reactor.jpg gt
• Study Blasts Growing Use of Coal Burning Power
  Plants Mercury Found in Midwest Rain. Herbert
  G. McCann. 9 Apr. 2005 lthttp//www.healthandenergy
  .com/coal.htmgt
• USA Today Money. USA Today. 2005. 5 April 2005
  lthttp//images.usatoday.com/money/_photos/newbill-
  pop2.jpggt
• http//image.pathfinder.com/time/campaign2000/cart
  oons/images/cartoon_010504.jpg
• Nuclear Power Pro/Con. Nuclearpowerprocon.org. No
  date specified. 9 Apr. 2005 lthttp//www.nuclearpow
  erprocon.org/pop/coal.htm gt