Coal provides about 30% of global energy, produces roughly over 40% of the Earth’s electricity and is used in the production of 70% of Earth’s steel. It is made up of Carbon and is formed from compacting decomposed plant remains. Coal is a non-renewable energy source, meaning that coal takes billions of years to create, therefore humans cannot make coal. Although humans can create charcoal, which is slowly burned wood with the absence of oxygen, coal is usually found underneath Earth’s surface and is located in something called the coal seam. Coal seams are typically 0.5 meters thick and some can reach as long as 30 meters. During the civil war, factories began using coal instead of charcoal to produce steel because it burns longer. The United…show more content… This is because coal is the cheapest source of energy. Statistics show that the United States use about 13 cents per kilowatt-hour. Other energy sources include oil, natural gas, nuclear, and Hydro. Hydro power may be cheaper but causes problems with rivers because of dams, thus drying out rivers. Coal is also a stable source of energy and there is enough coal in the world to power the United States for another 249 years. Having coal in general also opens up a lot of jobs for people. Unlike the other forms of energy, coal accommodates many jobs such as abstracting, transporting, burning and appropriately disposing of coal. Also coal is produced here in America, we do not have to import it from foreign countries. This energy source is mainly used in everyday matter and therefore Americans rely so much on coal as their main source of energy. However our dependency on coal can impact the environment. Coal usage is the number one cause of Global Warming. The utility coal plants in the United States radiated a total of 1.7 Billion tons of Carbon Dioxide. Not only is coal the major factor of Global Warming, but also plays a big part in the cause of smog and acid