Environmental impact of the coal industry

The coal industry can have a big impact on the environment. Burning coal creates smoke that contains dangerous chemicals like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, and more. These chemicals can get into the air and water, harming people's health and the environment. Coal mining can also cause water pollution and destruction of land. It can also hurt the wildlife that live near a coal mining area. Burning coal also releases carbon, which is a type of greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gases trap heat in our atmosphere and can cause the planet to become warmer, leading to climate change.