Many factors affect the environment, and I believe one of the most decisive factors is burning coal for energy. Coal affects the environment in so many different ways, and I feel like a suitable replacement would be renewable energy(water and air).
In this part, the text will elaborate on how coal affects the environment. Burning coal releases toxins. Coal contains sulfur and other elements, including dangerous metals such as mercury, lead, and arsenic, that escape into the air when coal is burned. Burning coal also produces particulates that increase air pollution and health dangers. Coal is composed almost entirely of carbon, so burning coal unleashes massive amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. These emissions have been shown to increase the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere and lead to global warming. Mountaintop removal mining is used to access layers of coal buried deep within mountains. This mining technique alters the landscape and damages ecosystems. These are only some examples of why coal is harmful to the environment.
Renewable energy can help keep the environment clean and give us the energy we need. A wealth of alternative energy sources, from wind and solar energy to hydroelectricity and biomass fuel, offer a way to power homes, vehicles, or businesses without using fossil fuels. That means renewable energy sources can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions we put into the air. Wind power and solar power are relatively self-explanatory; they use the wind or the sun to generate electricity. This electricity is generally stored in batteries and can be distributed like traditional utility electricity. Hydroelectricity works in much the same way, by using a natural power source — in this case, water — to generate power. One renewable resource to consider is biomass. Biomass uses agricultural or restaurant waste — vegetable oil is an excellent source of biomass energy and corn and soybeans to power vehicles that would otherwise run on fossil fuels. Biomass helps eliminate fossil fuel emissions while cutting down on the waste going to landfills.
Many examples have been shown, proving how dangerous coal is and how helpful renewable energy is. While explaining, I realize that we should do everything in our power to switch and work on using renewable energy or clean energy.