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Coal ash is hazardous and toxic to human beings and some other living things. [141] Coal ash contains the radioactive elements uranium and thorium. Coal ash and other solid combustion byproducts are stored locally and escape in various ways that expose those living near coal plants to radiation and environmental toxics. [142]
Reservoirs of such compound mixtures, such as coal, petroleum and natural gas, can be extracted and burnt as a fuel for human consumption to provide energy for direct use (such as for cooking, heating or lighting), to power heat engines (such as steam or internal combustion engines) that can propel vehicles, or to generate electricity via steam ...
The History of coal mining goes back thousands of years, with early mines documented in ancient China, the Roman Empire and other early historical economies. It became important in the Industrial Revolution of the 19th and 20th centuries, when it was primarily used to power steam engines, heat buildings and generate electricity.
For comparison, the second largest producer, the United States, produced more than 1.1 billion tons in 2007. An estimated 5 million people work in China's coal-mining industry. As many as 20,000 miners die in accidents each year. [66] Most Chinese mines are deep underground and do not produce the surface disruption typical of strip mines.
The Basin accounts for 85% of federal land-produced coal, according to a news release. ... “In Montana, we need coal – it fuels our economy and heats our homes in the winter in subzero ...
The combustion of coal is the largest contributor to the human-made increase of CO 2 in the atmosphere. [56] Electric generation using coal burning produces approximately twice the greenhouse gasses per kilowatt compared to generation using natural gas. [57] Coal mining releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
In the 21st century, charcoal has been advocated as a way to improve the health of people burning raw biomass for cooking and/or heating. Modern "charcoal" briquettes, widely used for outdoor cooking, are made with charcoal but may also include coal as an energy source as well as accelerants, binders and filler.
The raw energy resources include for example coal, unprocessed oil & gas, uranium. In comparison, the refined forms of energy include for example refined oil that becomes fuel and electricity. Energy resources may be used in various different ways, depending on the specific resource (e.g. coal), and intended end use (industrial, residential, etc.).