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COAL MINING - LAB
Throughout history, coal probably has fueled more
expansion of industrialized society than any other fuel. Today, it is
used to create steam from water which turns generators to create
electricity. Many countries in the world still use coal to cook.
Typically, it takes about one ton of coal to produce 2,500
kilowatt-hours of electricity. Coal is by far more plentiful than domestic
oil or natural gas, making up about 95 percent of America's fossil
energy reserves.
Historically coal has been used to heat and work wherever sources of
coal were near by. In the 1300's Hopi Indians in America regularly mined
coal to cook and heat their homes. In the 1700's coal was better and
more abundant than wood in the emerging industrialized nations of United
States and Europe. Coal fueled most of the steam engines which were
vital for rail and ocean transportation. By 1875 a by-product of coal
(coke) replaced charcoal to make steel.
Numbers refer to millions of tons coal reserves
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