Coal accounts for nearly a quarter of the nation’s primary energy production and is used to produce half of our electric power. Annually, the U.S. mines 1.1 billion short tons of coal. Use in this country, as well as internationally, will continue to increase to maintain our economic growth and standard of living. But with the recovery and use of this resource comes environmental concerns.
To highlight the importance of coal in our daily lives and the environmental concerns that are associated with its mining and use, the American Geological Institute (AGI) has published Coal and the Environment (ISBN 0-922152-77-2) as part of the Environmental Awareness Series. Produced in cooperation with the Illinois Basin Consortium, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Office of Surface Mining with additional support from the AGI Foundation and the U.S. Geological Survey, Coal and the Environment discusses the mining, processing, transportation, use, and environmental aspects associated with this important resource.
Coal and the Environment will give educators, students, policy makers, and the general public a framework for understanding the environmental impacts associated with the mining and use of coal. Recognizing the potential environmental consequences of coal mining has led to both better mining techniques and long-term use of mined lands. New clean-coal technologies along with regulations addressing coal combustion will help reduce harmful emissions. Coal and the Environment explains these technologies and the ongoing challenges of using coal while protecting the environment.
For more information on this publication and the other installments of the Environmental Awareness Series please visit http://www.agiweb.org/pubs.
The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 44 scientific and professional associations that represents more than 120,000 geologists, geophysicists, and other Earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interest in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society’s use of the resources and interaction with the environment. More information about AGI can be found at http://www.agiweb.org/. The Institute also provides a public outreach site at http://www.earthscienceworld.org/.