During this process, unfathomable quantities of organic matter have been slowly broken down and stored. The act of extracting coal from the Earth s crust and burning it is an experiment without geological precedent, and it is altering the environment in profound, yet poorly understood, ways. Coal has long been linked to air pollution and ill effects on health. In medieval London, an official proclamation banned coal burning as early as 1306 A.D. in an unsuccessful effort to curb the smog and sulfurous smell hanging over the city. By then, the lives of hundreds of thousands of coal miners had been shortened.
Particulates penetrate deep into lungs.
Prolonged inhalation causes a range of respiratory and cardiovascular problems, such as emphysema, asthma, bronchitis, lung cancer, and heart disease. It is also linked to higher infant mortality rates. The smallest particles can stay in an individual s lungs for a lifetime, potentially increasing the risk of cancer. Coal burning also releases nitrogen oxides, which react in sunlight to form ground-level ozone. In the United States and Europe, more than 100 cities are exposed to unhealthy ozone levels.