Breathing Easy
Coal-burning power stations produce more than half the electricity in the United States. An average coal-burning power station emits about 10,000 tons each of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides each year.
Oxides of sulfur and nitrogen cause smog and acid rain, and can irritate your lungs. The Clean Coal Technology Program in the United States encourages the development of technologies that reduce emissions of these harmful gases. The diagram shows how these emissions are reduced. The process begins when sulfur is washed from the surface of coal and ends when cleaner air is released into the atmosphere. Researchers are also exploring ways to capture the carbon dioxide that is produced to keep it from entering the atmosphere.