Coal

• Although most deep coalmining in the UK has stopped, and the use of open pit mining has reduced, we still obtain 23% of our electricity from coal-fired power plants. This means we have to import coal from abroad

  
• Mining and burning coal produces waste and atmospheric pollution, which poses environmental problems. Waste tips, stockpiles and open pits look unsightly and hazardous, and sulphur dioxide fumes from coal power stations add to atmospheric pollution and cause acid rain, which damages trees and lakes

  
• An advantage of coal is that it doesn't require any processing before burning, although it's usually crushed. There are still sufficient reserves of coal to last hundreds of years