Effects Of Coal Mining On The Environment

Each year we mine enough coal to give 1 ton to every single person on the planet Both the extraction and burning of coal have severe negative effects on people and planet. Despite good intentions and a lot of talking, global mining (and burning!) of coal is expected to stay at record levels in the coming years. 7.73 billion tons of coal mined in 2019.

Each year we mine enough coal to give 1 ton to every single person on the planet

Coal (still) powers the world

Coal is the largest source of electricity in the world. In 2018, over 38 percent electricity worldwide was generated by the burning of coal. It is followed by natural gas with 23 percent. Electricity from renewable sources is on the rise but slowly. Hydro (water) provided 16.3 percent and other renewable sources such as solar and wind power contributed with 8 percent.

Coal production worldwide was at an all time high in 2019.

Effects of coal mining on the environment pretty serious

Environmentally damaging surface mining methods have overtaken underground mining as the predominant way of extracting coal. The environmental impact from surface mining includes habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, groundwater pollution and air pollution caused by dust particulates.

Visible from outer space

There has been a rise in so-called mountaintop removal mining, where the top of an entire mountain are blasted away to get to the coal ore underneath. Several open-pit mine craters are so large that they are visible from outer space.

Mining of coal expected to remain at record levels

The mining and burning of coal has grown more or less non-stop since the late 1800s. The good news is that this steady rise seems to have been stopped. Global mining of coal is expected to remain steady in the years to come. But this is far from good enough. The rise has stopped but it has stopped at record levels. If we are serious about green energy, the mining of coal has to be reduced very significantly and it has to happen fast.

Coal mining projections

By 2040, the percentage of coal in the power mix will decrease by about 10 percentage points from 38 to 28 percent. But at the same time world demand for energy will grow massively so MUCH more is needed to seriously reduce the damaging effects of coal mining - and turning the coal into energy.

A global challenge

Demand for coal in Europe and North America is expected to decline. But this will be offset by growing demand from Asia - especially from India but also Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Pakistan will demand more and more coal in the coming years.

Main reason for the continued high demand for coal: The rise of the consumer class in Asia and Africa will require massive amounts of energy.

5,075,186,776

Number of consumers

Globally, right now

This energy has to come from renewable sources if we want to have any hope of meeting global CO2 emission targets.

Climate

32,683,232,312

Tonnes of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere

Globally, this year

Explore this fact

The global CO2-emissions from coal is about 15 billion tons.

Why the world keeps digging up more coal

An important reason for the continued high level of coal mining is that some countries are currently simply unable to substitute coal with less polluting and carbon-intensive energies. In recent years the continued high demand for coal has been primarily driven by strong coal power generation in China and India.

It requires huge investments in green energy to satisfy the demand of a world consumer economy growing by the second.