It is very strange to note that present Government is advocating for
Air Polluting Thar Coal Project Versus Enviromental Friendly Kalabagh Dam.
Kalabagh dam which will increase the water resources of the country is being opposed while Thar coal project,which will consume huge amount of water and will contaminate all water,air and land resources of Pakistan is being adovecated by the governement Clean electricity produced by Kalabagh dam will be available to every one citizen of the country while thar coal project will pollute all water,air and land resources of Pakistan for every one.Thar coal will effect each and every living organism while Kalabagh will not only store water for the time of need but with the generation of electricity will increase the resources of water by sucking up the underground water resources and will provide the clean electricity .
Coal is one of the most polluting sources of energy available, jeopardizing our health and our environment. While Kalabagh Dams will have multiple advantages and will act as electricity power house,water reserevoir and floods preventor generate electricity,Store water,will improve fertility of lands.
The Effects of Coal on the Environment
Coal as a source of energy is probably the most environmentally damaging of all the traditional sources of energy.
• Coal Power in a Warming World by Barbara Freese et al, published by the Union of Concerned Scientists in October 2008 states that “The underground mining of coal is a dangerous profession, and underground and surface mining are both highly damaging to landscapes, water supplies, and ecosystems”.
• The Natural Resources Defense Council paper entitled “Coal in a Changing Climate”, issued in February 2007 claims that “Coal mining—and particularly surface or strip mining—poses one of the most significant threats to terrestrial habitats in the United States.”
• Figures from "Key World Energy Statistics: 2008" show that coal is responsible for 42% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions.
• “Coal in a Changing Climate” shows that coal produces large amounts of airborne toxic chemicals, including sulfur dioxide, mercury, nitrous oxides, arsenic and lead.
Coal is a highly polluting energy source. It emits much more carbon per unit of energy than oil, and natural gas. CO2 represents the major portion of greenhouse gases. It is, therefore, one of the leading contributors to climate change. From mine to sky, from extraction to combustion -- coal pollutes every step of the way. The huge environmental and social costs associated with coal usage make it an expensive option for developing countries. From acid drainage from coal mines, polluting rivers and streams, to the release of mercury and other toxins when it is burned, as well as climate-destroying gases and fine particulates that wreak havoc on human health, COAL is unquestionably, a DIRTY BUSINESS.
It is a major contributor to climate change – the biggest environmental threat we face. It is the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel, emitting 29% more than oil, 80% more carbon dioxide (the main driver of climate change) per unit of energy than gas.
Whereas Thar coal will pollute land ,air and water resources with the burning of each gram of coal and thar coal will have Interference with groundwater and water table levels
Already Polluted Atmosphere of South Asia.
South Asia is already suffering from the adverse effects of Brown cloud(Accumulation of Dirty gases in upper atmosphere of Subcontinent and is having negative effects on the heath of population of India and Pakistan ,Moreover there is already shortage of Ozone gas in the upper atmosphere of South Asia,due to which people of South Asia (India, Pakistan,Bangladesh and Sri Lanka ) are not having perfect healthy bodies as compared other reaces of the world.In view of such a bad condition of atmosphere burning the coak is just like to throw the people Pakistan into valley of death
There are a number of adverse environmental effects of coal mining and burning, specially
The glaciers of the Himalayas, Karakoram, Hindukush and Pamir ranges in Gilgit-Baltistan contribute significantly to the stream flow of the IBRS. More significantly, during the dry season these glaciers become the system’s only source. Impacts due to climate change on these glaciers have been studied in recent decades and vivid fluctuation of water flow in the Indus River Basin System has been reported.
This situation proves a truly worrisome phenomenon as expert scientists and policymakers alike work towards agricultural sustainability and food abundance in the coming years. Moreover, the increasingly harsh climate is damaging and will continue to damage the aesthetic features of the gorgeous mountain landscape future.
Therefore, the country must make its primary concerns achieving sustainable water usage in order to allow for sustainable agricultural production.
in power stations.
These effects include:
Release of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, which causes climate change and global warming according to the IPCC. Coal is the largest contributor to the human-made increase of CO2 in the air.[32]
Dust nuisance
Acid rain from high sulfur coal
Generation of hundred of millions of tons of waste products, including fly ash, bottom ash, flue gas desulfurization sludge, that contain mercury,uranium, thorium, arsenic, and other heavy metals
Coal-fired power plant releases emissions including mercury, selenium, and arsenic which are harmful to human health and the environment.[34]
Coal-fired power plants without effective fly ash capture are one of the largest sources of human-caused background radiation exposure
Dirty Coal-Fired Power Plants and Air Pollution
Power plants are a major source of air pollution, with coal-fired power plants spewing 59% of total U.S. sulfur dioxide pollution and 18% of total nitrogen oxides every year.4 Coal-fired power plants are also the largest polluter of toxic mercury pollution5, largest contributor of hazardous air toxics6, and release about 50% of particle pollution.7 Additionally, power plants release over 40% of total U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, a prime contributor to global warming.8
Smog and Ozone
Power plants are second only to automobiles as the greatest source of NOx emissions.9 When nitrogen oxide (NOx) reacts with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and sunlight, smog (ground level ozone) forms. Of the six major criteria air pollutants regulated by the EPA, NOx emissions have historically been the hardest to control. One of the contributing factors is that NOx emissions from huge dirty coal plants in one region can easily pollute areas hundreds of miles downwind.
When inhaled, smog can cause a wide range of health problems, including immediate symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pains, wheezing, and increased susceptibility to respiratory problems.11 Smog can also cause many more serious problems like increased risk of asthma attacks and lung inflammation. Recently, scientists concluded that exposure to smog can be deadly. Smog affects everyone, but is especially dangerous for children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems.
Even our national parks have not escaped the smog and ozone pollution caused by coal-fired power plants. Many parks already experience unhealthy air days, and the problem is getting worse.12 Smog concentrations have increased at 22 of 31 National Park Service monitoring sites since 1990. This persistent ozone pollution can harm plants and vegetation by damaging leaves and disrupting growth.13 Along with other pollutants, nitrous oxides can also chemically alter soil and water, leading to acidification and other serious problems that harm plants and animals.
Particle Pollution and Soot
Coal-fired power plants are also the largest single source of sulfur dioxide (SO2), releasing about 2/3 of the total SO2 pollution each year.14 Sulfur dioxide, which can travel long distances in the atmosphere before falling down to the land, can cause problems on its own as well as when it combines with other pollution to form other dangerous compounds.15 In addition to acid rain (see below), SO2 can combine with nitrogen oxide (NOx) and other particles to form particulate matter, which is sometimes called soot. Particulate matter, which can also be released directly from the smokestacks of coal-fired power plants, is often divided into categories based on the size of the particles-coarse, fine, and ultrafine-but all three are hazardous to your health and the environment.16
Particle pollution is one of the most dangerous air pollutants, and over 64 million Americans are estimated to breathe air that has so much particle pollution that it puts their health at risk.17 Particle pollution can trigger heart attacks and strokes, lead to cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), cause respiratory irritation, and worsen asthma. Both short-term and long-term exposure can cause premature death. In fact, particle pollution from power plants in the U.S. leads to over 30,000 deaths each year-a shocking figure when compared to the 17,000 homicides committed each year.18 Cutting power plant emissions by 75% could avoid more than 18,000 of the deaths caused by particle pollution.
In addition to its health impacts, particle pollution is also the number one cause for haze, or reduced visibility, in the U.S., including in our National Parks.19 Regional haze from airborne pollutants has reduced annual average visibility in the U.S. from natural conditions to about one-half in the west and to one-third in the east.20
Air Pollution and Public Health
China's reliance on its abundant but dirty coal has produced a number of
negative consequences; one of the biggest is air pollution. According to World
Bank figures, 16 of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in China, while
around 400,000 people die prematurely each year of respiratory problems related
to air pollution.
Acid Rain
Acid rain, or acid deposition, occurs when sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) react with water and oxygen in the atmosphere to form acidic compounds, most commonly sulfuric and nitric acid.21 These acidic compounds then either mix with natural precipitation and fall to the earth as acid rain, or remain dry and then settle to the ground. In the U.S., coal-fired power plants are the single largest source of SO2 pollution (66%)22 and the second largest source of NOx pollution.23
Acid rain destroys ecosystems, including streams and lakes, by changing their delicate pH balance making them unable to support life. Acid rain can destroy forests, devastate plant and animal life, and eat away at man-made monuments and buildings to effectively destroy our natural and historical treasures.24 Already, numerous lakes and streams in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York are too acidic to support fish life, and long-term acidification continues to threaten the Chesapeake Bay.25
Air Toxics and Mercury
Coal-fired power plants are the largest single man-made source of mercury pollution in the U.S.26, and are the largest contributor of hazardous air pollutants.27 In smokestack tests, coal-fired power plants were found to release 67 air toxics, many of which are known or suspected carcinogens and neurotoxins that can cause development problems, respiratory problems, and aggravate asthma.28
Of these air toxics, one of the most dangerous is mercury. Mercury from coal-fired power plants is released into the air through the exhaust system when coal is burned. The primary exposure for Americans occurs when this mercury falls to the earth and runs into our lakes, rivers, and streams and contaminates the fish.29 Humans can be contaminated when they eat these fish and shellfish. In 2004, 47 states and territories had fish consumption advisories for mercury for at least some of their waters.30
Mercury is a developmental toxin, primarily affecting fetal development.31 In unborn children, it can cause brain damage, mental retardation, blindness, and many other problems. Infants are also exposed to these dangers through contaminated breast milk. While the dangers of mercury are most often associated with women and children, eating fish high in mercury has also been found to put middle-aged men at a greater risk for coronary heart disease.32
By using Thar coal and other coal resources will deteriorate the air quality more and more.While Kalabagh dam due to storage of Water and suction of underground water by means of electricity generated by Kalabagh Dam.will increase the green area of the country, and green vegetation will ultimately decrease the CO2 and will release O2 which will have positive effects on the quality of air in the country where as Thar coal due its toxic wastage will cause irepairable damage to all water,air and land resources of Pakistan.
Contamination of land and waterways and destruction of homes from fly ash spills such as Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill
Impact of water use on flows of rivers and consequential impact on other land-uses
Subsidence above tunnels, sometimes damaging infrastructure.
Kunio Senga, director-general of the ADB’s South Asia department, said the projected food shortages would result in “five million additional malnourished children in South Asia.” “South Asia’s vulnerability to climate change has extremely serious implications for agriculture,” he told journalists in Kathmandu, adding that “the poor stand to suffer most as a result of unchecked climate change.”
Almost half of the world’s poorest people live in South Asia, where they tend to depend on agriculture and live in areas highly exposed to changes in the climate, the ADB said.
It is also another myth that this project will alleviate the need for hydel electricity. The fact is that any electricity eventually produced from Thar coal would be at least twice as expensive as that generated from Kalabagh and other large dams and the envirmental effects will be totally disaterous
Droughts - continental heartlands will dry out more in summer. In 1988 the US suffered its worst heat wave and drought for 50 years. It cannot be proved that this was due to the greenhouse effect but it does give us some idea of what to expect in the future.
Floods - sea levels are already rising at a rate of 1 to 2mm each year due to expansion of the top layer of the oceans as they warm and the melting of the polar ice caps. The predicted rise by 2050 is between 20 and 50cm. This will cause increased flooding in coastal areas and river estuaries such as Bangladesh and the Nile Delta. London and many other British coastal cities will be threatened also. It is now a priority to strengthen Britain's sea defences.
Challenges and Solutions
The facts are in: coal-fired power plants and the pollution they release every day are a major threat to human health and our environment. We need to act now to clean up dirty coal power through pollution reductions that can protect our families now, not in two decades. We also need to reduce our dependence on dirty coal by retiring and replacing these plants with clean energy alternatives like wind, solar,hydrel and improvements in energy efficiency.
The bottom line is that there are plenty of clean alternatives to coal power, and utilities are already starting to make the shift. With a climate crisis looming, clean energy is clearly where we should be investing our resources. Despite all their multi-million dollar ad campaigns to the contrary, the energy companies are beginning to understand that too.
Pakistan has great potential for hydroelectric and coal-based power generation. Kalabagh and Bhasha dams can provide 3600MW and 4500MW of power respectively, when/if they are built. However, we need to look beyond these and build many more dams because by the time these dams are
ready, the demand will rise further.
Written By M.AKRAM KHAN NIAZI.
Email:akrumniazi@hotmail.com
