Essay Sample on Externalities of Fossil Fuel Use: The Impact on the Environment and Human Health

Fossil fuels supply an approximate of 86% of the primary world energy for residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation uses (Schobert, 2013). Externalities of fossil fuels can be seen through land degradation and pollution. Besides, it causes the sea level to rise. The extraction of coal may lead to water and air pollution, which poses a lot of harm to the community. For instance, transportation fuels may lead to air pollution, where there may be severe injuries, accidents, and oil spillage. If fuels are burned, they release or emit global warming and toxins emission. The waste release to the environment is also hazardous to human health.

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The occupational risk associated with fossil fuels are illnesses like skin diseases, chemical poisoning, respiratory conditions caused by fossil fuel plants. In other instances, it may lead to hearing loss, which is challenging to handle (Schobert, 2013). Fossil fuel cycle is a true cycle as it involves combustion and poses political, societal, economic, and technological challenges of greater magnitude.

In the film, people are tired of the mining of coal that generates poisoned wells, toxic sludge, raining boulders, and earsplitting explosions ("YouTube," n.d.). In essence, people are tormented by environmental-law-flouting imposed by Massey Energy Company, which uses a mountaintop removal "controversial mining strategy." The best solution is a grass-roots campaign that shall cause the company to desist. One thing that stands out is the ability of Mr. Harney to moving personal stories, contentious debate, and scientific testimony into fossil-derived energy and indictment of Massey. The film effectively draws from the debris left behind and pain experienced from hundreds of Appalachian Mountains. The film claims that national debate is not in quest of white knights.

The mountaintop removal mining technology causes numerous detrimental effects, such as polluting the pure environment and causing serious harm to the nearby residents. In this context, the valleys are not the only affected areas as the streams that were once clean are either buried by the mountain rock or polluted wastes. Once the water is affected, living becomes difficult. Therefore, it difficult to have clean coal using mountain top removal mining.

From the fuel mix chart, one can realize that different fuels differ in percentage from one place to the other. In essence, the different place has the best energy they wish to consume. Also, the results also show that the level of emission of data is not uniform, hence it differs from one place to another ("Power Profiler," 2020). The graph also captures the fuels for non-renewable electrical production to be gas, petroleum, and coal. Renewable sources include biomass, geothermal, hydropower, wind, and solar energy.

I have realized that there is a variation in how electricity is produced through different sources such as fossil fuels, the solar, wind, and nuclear energy ("Power Profiler," 2020). In essence, the amount and type of emissions depend on how electricity is generated. Therefore, it important for a person to consider the approach of generating electricity.

In conclusion, the extraction of coal may lead to environmental impacts such as water and air pollution. The effects may pose a lot of harm to the community. The occupational risk associated with fossil fuels are illnesses like skin diseases, chemical poisoning, respiratory conditions caused by fossil fuel plants. However, when mountaintop removal mining technology is applied, it may cause numerous detrimental effects, such as polluting the pure environment. Eventually, these effects may cause serious harm to nearby residents.

References

Power Profiler. (2020, March 10). US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/energy/power-profiler#/Schobert, H. (2013). Chemistry of Fossil Fuels and Biofuels. Cambridge University Press.

YouTube. (n.d.). YouTube. https://youtu.be/6neSdVOh_BM