Coal supplies more than half of energy demands for domestic and industrial use in the US. In fact, only a mere four states in the US do not have coal mines and are not actively involved in burning coal to produce energy. Arkansas is among the coal energy-dependent and producer of the same. Coal burning is beneficial in terms of energy production, and this has gone on for years.
However, in Arkansas the burning of coal has become a health and environmental hazard for the residents. The coal ash, popularly known as fly ash has continuous been released into the environment with no control measures to curb the impending health and environmental degradation effects. As such, quality of life and a sustainable ecosystem is becoming a thing of the past in this state.
Coal burning companies have been accused of releasing fly ash and waste material into adjacent rivers with little or no action by state authorities. This has exposed residents to a health risk. The rivers adjacent to these companies are characterized by waste material, and the fly ash is just but a part of the river system. The river waters are the main source of water for the residents. They depend on the water for domestic use and farming in the rural regions. On the other hand, the filthy shores of the rivers are just but a nuisance to the residents.
The air quality has, in fact, been compromised. Environmental beauty is diminishing every other day. The residents are currently living in the fear of the unknown; it is either they are consuming polluted air, water or farm products with toxic chemicals. There is a need for strict regulation on the environmental sustainability in regard to dumping of fly ash in Arkansas to preserve the health status of the community and protect the environmental. The video link http://vimeo.com/2810788 provides an indication of the mess by natural gas companies in Arkansas and the level of damage.
Bibliography
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Schroeder, Miriam. "The construction of China's climate politics: transnational NGOs and the spiral model of international relations." Cambridge Review of International Affairs 21, no. 4 (2008): 505-525.
Zafarullah, Habib, and Ahmed Shafiqul Huque. Managing Development in a Globalized World: Concepts, Processes, Institutions. CRC Press, 2012.
