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How Clean Coal Affects Our Energy Problems
Even so, in terms of our relatively small population when compared to the rest of the world, we somehow manage to account for nearly one quarter of th emissions and pollutants output by everyone else. So, it would seem that we also bear a disproportionate responsibility to get control over our own emissions. And we also should be helping to lead the rest of the world in reducing their emissions. The main pollutant contributing to global warming is carbon dioxide. And, in this country, one of the biggest sources of carbon dioxide is coal burning power plants. Taken together, these plants emit between two and three billion tons of carbon dioxide every year. This is the largest amount of pollution produced by coal in the world. In response, the coal industry has come up with what is called "clean coal" as a solution to this problem. The theory is that carbon can be captured and stored underground. The reality, however, is that many think that this so called carbon capture and storage is simply a scam and waiting game that the coal companies are executing to delay having to come up with real solution. Currently, there are no active, working implementations of this type of clean coal solution. Closely following behind coal, the next largest source of energy that is used in the U.S. is oil and gas from fossil fuels. In this country, oil and gas are comparatively inexpensive forms of energy. This is particularly true when you compare their costs to what the rest of the world is paying. The price of fossil fuels, however, is misleading. The reason is that as our country has become progressively more dependent on the fossil fuels, we have exposed the earth to more carbon dioxide and other pollutants. As the relationship between fossil fuel use and global warming becomes clearer each year, the imperative to begin to aggressively move away from this form of energy takes on more importance. Fortunately, progress in other areas are finally beginning to pay off. Solar shingles are being created for the roofs of homes and buildings that cost a fraction of what they did even ten years ago. New wind technologies are also beginning to come on line across the country. And researchers have discovered more and better ways of conserving energy such as energy saving light bulbs, energy saving appliances, and the like. But all of these things are still far short of what is needed. Until some major political entity takes the bull by the horn and begins to aggressively push for greener forms of energy, we remain basically in a holding pattern. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Solar power is becoming more affordable everyday. For articles related to solar power subjects such as solar panels for homes and solar panel electricity, please see our web site. |
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