%26quot;...coal, the dirtiest power source in terms of carbon dioxide and other pollutants,%26quot;
Does coal produce more CO2 than other energy sources such as diesel, bio-diesel, or natural gas?
If you include inflation problems from buying Mid-East oil, food supply problems by converting corn from food to fuel, isn%26#039;t coal a superior source of energy?
Don%26#039;t plug-in hybrid cars need electricity from diesel, natural gas, nuclear, or coal? If power plants scrub the emissions to remove sulphur and particles, isn%26#039;t coal almost as clean as nuclear?
Best Answer
The amount of CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants are typically higher than natural gas, but depending on technology could be lower than diesel or bio-diesel plants.Many of the historical issues with coal have been other pollutants specifically SO2 and mercury. However, many of these concerns have been significantly reduced through scrubber technology.
You%26#039;re definitely asking the big question when it comes to plug-in hybrids - where we do we get the electricity?
However, it%26#039;s a tough comparison between coal and nuclear on which is %26quot;cleaner%26quot; since the types of waste materials created are drastically different.
Coal produces CO2 and there are limited ideas on fixing this problem (I%26#039;m pretty sure that carbon sequestration will not be successful and may create more issues than it solves)
Nuclear produces waste by-products which have many more immediate and drastic impact on the environment. But, if properly handled (and if intelligently handled) can be contained and reduced.
In the end it will take a mix of technologies - wind, solar, biomass, fossil fuels, and nuclear - along with reduced energy waste and increased energy efficiency.
Other Answers (4)
-
Coal is the most polluting of the fossil fuels, yes. It%26#039;s also the easiest to replace with wind, solar ,a nd nuclear power. All three of which have been deliberately blocked for years by the coal companies and their bought politicians in the GOP.
NO fossil fuel is acceptable in this day and age--coal least of alll. The thing that amazes me is these right-wing types that keep whining about wanting more of a 19th century technology in the 21st century. Do they WANT to continue to live in primitive conditions? -
Yes, coal is the worst, its true.
I recently attended a lecture given by one of the higher-ups of NASA, and he showed a bar representing all the emissions. Each time an emissions type was eliminated (ie If everyone gets rid of their car, then this much emissions is removed), part of the bar was sliced off. Guess what barely made an impact? After removing all other types of emissions, coal was left as the outstanding worst offender.
If we dont start paying more attention to burning coal, all the electric cars and solar panels in the world wont help us.
You have brought up an important point, which is transfer of energy sources. If all we are doing is transfering energy to a different medium, that isnt going to help unless it is significantly reduced in the process.
One of the biggest problems, as I see it, is there remains glaring discrepancies in opinion among the leading scientists and professionals in the field. That has trickled down to the average consumer who is confused about energy solutions, and wary of making changes. It takes a long time for good, complete, information to reach the mass population, and even longer for them to institute the changes. -
coal is very clean because CO2 isn%26#039;t a pollutant. Environmentalist have blocked nuclear which by far the cleanest.
Everyone plays the blame game for example, the Demcrates that are controlled by the enviromentalist refuse to unblock nuclear and lose their kickbacks. or the GOP is run by big oil (whats big oil, exxon is the 8th largest oil company).
Powe plants still consume fuel at night so plugging something in at night doesn%26#039;t clean up the world. As a matter of fact, if we were to plug in our cars at night, the price of electricity at night would cost more than in the day. -
Coal is much dirtier than nuclear, even with the scrubbers that are in use today. They also are a major contributor of acid rain. Most of the hybrid cars out there can be plugged in for recharge, but use little power to charge, plus, is charged at night, have minimal effect on the power grid, especially if charged on non-peak hours.
It is hopeful that we wean ourselves from power plants that use diesel, bio-diesel, and natural gas for their prime movers. Hydro power has always been a good source, but now, they are removing some dams to return streams to their natural state.
Nuclear has been given a %26quot;bad rap%26quot;, the only thing that needs to be adjusted here is proper training for plant operating and maintenance personnel. Then provide them with enough time off so they are not over worked and stressed. Every problem that has come from nuclear can be traced back to the lack of items I have mentioned.
The planet can be saved, and produce well into the future.
Other sources that are now finally coming about in the world is both solar and wind power. 30+ years in the utility field, living aboard boat 3 years, using solar and wind energy. Planning home with solar pasnels for total energy independence