ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the environmental, health and social impacts of the coal industry and its political power. The public health impacts of coal burning depend on the daily doses, periods of exposure, and lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption. Coal is one of the most damaging sources of environmental pollutants used by humankind. Theoretically it may be possible with detailed investigation of potential stores, technologies, and laws, the risks of severe adverse environmental and health hazards of geosequestration could be reduced to very low levels. With its substantial human and financial resources, the coal industry is promoting geosequestration by ensuring that future electricity generation systems will be highly dependent upon coal. If the coal industry is successful in establishing large-scale geosequestration, people will continue to suffer these impacts and the citizens of countries with high coal use may be forced to pay very large subsidies for geosequestration, either through the taxation system or through high electricity prices.
