Blog 5 – Letter to the Editor

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Dear Editor,  

I believe that coal burning plants should be closed down because they are polluting local lakes and rivers that are already polluted from local farming. Coal burning plants cause pollution in the water when they emit chemicals such as sulpher dioxide and nitrogen oxide into the air. These chemicals can react with water in the atmosphere to make acid rain. When this acid rain falls to the ground, it can pollute local lakes and rivers.  

When coal plants pollute lakes and rivers, it can cause harm to both humans and wildlife. It can cause harm to humans because it makes the lake and river water unsafe for drinking, swimming, and fishing. It can also cause health problems in humans. Pollution from coal plants can also cause harm to wildlife by harming their reproductive systems and causing other health problems. It can also cause damage to the ecosystem and reduce biodiversity. Coal ash is also very harmful to human health and the environment. It is produced from the burning of coal in coal-fired power plants. It contains substances that are harmful to human and wildlife health, which is a big problem since it is polluting our lakes and rivers. 

These are just the effects of coal plant pollution in the water, but we need to realize that these lakes and rivers are already polluted from pesticides used in farming and agriculture. I believe that we should do everything that we can to reduce the pollution in our local lakes and rivers, and we can do this by closing down coal burning plants. There are many other ways to generate energy that unlike coal burning, are renewable, and are way less harmful to humans and the environment. I think that we should close down coal plants and consider some of these alternative energy sources.  

Olivia Amaral 

Sources 

Max, M. (2023, April 17). Advanced guide: How does coal energy work – industrial manufacturing blog. linquip. https://www.linquip.com/blog/how-does-coal-energy-work/ 

Coal and water pollution. Union of Concerned Scientists. (n.d.). https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/coal-and-water-pollution#:~:text=%E2%80%9COnce%2Dthrough%E2%80%9D%20coal%20plants,increase%20heart%20rates%20in%20fish. 

Turrentine, J. (2019, September 6). Coal ash is hazardous. coal ash is waste. but according to the EPA, Coal Ash is not “hazardous waste.” Be a Force for the Future. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/coal-ash-hazardous-coal-ash-waste-according-epa-coal-ash-not-hazardous-waste