Land

Vast tracts of land have been mined and open cast, leaving quarry sites and slag heaps. These areas require proper post use treatment, which has only recently been carried out properly. The ash and clinker produced from burning coal ha to be disposed of.

Mining and excavations take land out of use for other purposes such as food production and the remaining land after mining is contaminated and derelict limiting the future use.

Air

When these fuels are burnt in power stations, domestic houses or to run machinery and transport they undergo combustion, a chemical reaction which combines the fuel with oxygen producing CO2 and water as well as the heat. Carbon dioxide is always produced as a gas. Water is a gas at temperatures over 100 degrees C, this is always the case when burning fossil fuels. All combustion of fossil fuels involves taking oxygen out of the atmosphere and adding CO2 and water in the form of vapour.