Coal
In an average year, a typical coal plant generates1:
- 3,700,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary human cause of global warming (as much as cutting down 161 million trees).
- 10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), which causes acid rain that damages forests, lakes, and buildings, and forms small airborne particles that can penetrate deep into lungs.
- 500 tons of small airborne particulates which can cause chronic bronchitis, aggravated asthma, and premature death. These particulates also create a haze which obscures visibility.
- 10,200 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx), as much as would be emitted by half a million late-model cars. NOx leads to formation of ozone (smog) which inflames the lungs by burning through lung tissue, making people more susceptible to respiratory illness.
- 720 tons of carbon monoxide (CO) which causes headaches and places additional stress on people with heart disease.
- 220 tons of hydrocarbons, the volatile organic compounds (VOC) which form ozone.
- 170 pounds of mercury (1/70th of a teaspoon deposited on a 25-acre lake can make the fish unsafe to eat).
- 225 pounds of arsenic, which will cause cancer in one out of 100 people who drink water containing 50 parts per billion.
- 114 pounds of lead, 4 pounds of cadmium, other toxic heavy metals, and trace amounts of uranium.
New Mexico has the nation's fourth-largest coal reserve.
1. Statistics - Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, Massachusetts