Why Coal Mining In Australia Must End
From 1880 the Earth has increased in temperature by over 0.8° celsius according to NASA earth observatory. Coal mining in Australia is contributing heavily to global warming and staggering amounts of people die each year due to coal mining. And finally, air pollution from coal power plants is extremely dangerous as it releases dangerous toxins and pollutants. Mining for coal does not help the future for a healthy planet. Because we should be looking forward to a bright future but instead it's looking dark, dark as coal.
Coal mining in Australia is contributing heavily to global warming. Like I said before the earth has increased in temperature by over 0.8° celsius. Many people ask, but why should we care about one degrees difference in warming? It's that one-degree difference that counts. One degree is the difference between your children getting to see polar bears or penguins. Yes, it is only a degree but soon it will be three, four, five… the count goes on. According to ucsusa.org, ‘Chemically, coal is mostly carbon, which, when burned, reacts with oxygen in the air to produce carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping gas’. When heat is trapped it has nowhere to go, the earth can only expel so much heat to keep itself cool, therefore developing into global warming. This can break the ozone layer which then affects the earth heating up. It’s all linked to a ripple effect in global warming. This is why coal mining must end!
Staggering amounts of people are killed every year due to coal mining. Did you know according to climatecouncil.org.au that over 50,000 people in the US die each year due to coal mining? This is more deaths than drowning in the USA with a toll of over 3,500 from 2005-2014 according to cdc.gov. More like drowning in coal. These deaths wouldn’t have occurred if coal mining hadn’t of taken place. Deaths take place by workers inhaling the deadly gases, experiencing common symptoms and not recognising them or simply the statues of the mine aren’t stable enough and collapse due to immense pressure. This is not good enough not only should people feel safe at work they should not fear for their lives when going to work. Many of the people have families that are never going to see their loved ones again due to the outrageous and deadly issues of coal mining. This is why coal mining must end!
Air pollution from coal power plants is extremely dangerous as it releases dangerous toxins and pollutants. The health issues that coal produces are absolutely devastating and yes with over 50,000 deaths each year in the US according to climatecouncil.org.au, it has to be up to the top for one of the most commonly caused deaths. The deadly toxins and pollutants contained in these gases include; mercury, lead, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates, and various other heavy metals according to ucsusa.org. Not only are all of the toxins described dangerous to workers but once they are released into the air these pollutants easily become parts of airborne diseases. Such as lung diseases like coal mine lung dust disease. Which are again contracted from the vile poisons. This is why coal mining must end!
In summary, I have told you about the global warming effects of coal mining, then I discussed the staggering amounts of people dead from mining. And lastly, I explained the fatal effects of coal mining on human health. Coal mining if continued WILL be the end of the beautiful planet we would have once lived in we don’t stop. So, whether you decide to listen to me or not, just remember the decisions we make today affect the future for everyone tomorrow.
