A Brief Beginners Guide To The Coal Mining Process
Coal burning powers homes and businesses all over the world. In Australia, most of the country’s electricity comes from domestically produced coal being burned in plants. But the substance is also responsible for a large amount of Australia’s greenhouse gases, and has come under fire as environmentally unfriendly, a message that is gaining support in recent years.
Two separate types of the substance are mined and burned for power. They are both found in Australia, and differ mostly in quality. The higher-quality form is referred to as black, and is burned all over the country and exported to other parts of the world. The brown version is lower-quality, and mostly exported or burned in Victoria, which has specialized power plants designed to use the lower-quality substance.
Because a large portion of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions (around 40%) come from the burning of coal, there are many people who believe that it should be phased out of use. Other people believe the answer lies in more advanced technology that might lead to so-called ‘clean coal.’ However, this is not a reality for the moment, and some people do not believe it will be soon enough, or ever.
Australia is heavily reliant on coal. Around 85% of the country’s electricity is produced by burning the substance, and the country also ranks fourth on the list of worldwide largest producers. Australia’s 409 Mt a year is only around half of the production of the US in a year, and 1/6 of China’s production, but it is still significant and economically important.
Surface mining makes up a bit less than half of the mines in the world, but is the method of choice in 80% of Australian mines. This method of mining uses explosives to dig pits, craters, and crevasses into the earth, which are then cleared of coal. It is a higher-yield alternative to the underground method, which is slightly more common worldwide.
In the past, working in a mine was a very dangerous job. It still is, in less developed countries. However, the risks have been greatly reduced in developed countries, though it is still more hazardous than many other jobs. Buildups of toxic gases released by digging, and black lung, caused by breathing dust, are both possibilities that miners might encounter.
The use of complicated machinery and sophisticated detection equipment is standard in mines these days. The operators of these machines are usually holders of four-year or more advanced degrees, and the majority of miners in Australia are now educated in the field. Unlike older generations of miners, today’s miners are no longer unskilled laborers. They are now more likely to be engineers, geologists, and other professionals.
Coal is essential to the Australian lifestyle for the moment, as it provides the majority of electricity in the country. However, it is responsible for the production of greenhouse gases, and has been challenged by many people who believe that a change needs to be made. Miners responsible for extracting the substance are now usually highly trained professionals, and operate sophisticated machinery that helps them figure out how to best perform the job.
