2992: UK Coal - Revision history

92.23.2.228 at 21:31, 18 June 2025

2025-06-18T21:31:50Z

CalibansCreations: /* Explanation */

2025-06-18T07:45:29Z

‎Explanation

162.158.137.211: Undo revision 356897 by NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE (talk) rv vandalism

2024-11-14T23:52:53Z

Undo revision 356897 by NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE (talk) rv vandalism

NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE at 23:39, 14 November 2024

2024-11-14T23:39:19Z

172.69.194.150: Undo revision 355060 by 162.158.136.181 (talk) Unimplemented category, prematurely applied.

2024-10-30T00:23:18Z

Undo revision 355060 by 162.158.136.181 (talk) Unimplemented category, prematurely applied.

162.158.136.181 at 00:09, 30 October 2024

2024-10-30T00:09:30Z

Mtcv: /* Explanation */ added

2024-10-14T09:24:01Z

‎Explanation: added <sup>

Mtcv: calculation in text

2024-10-14T09:19:40Z

calculation in text

172.69.194.224 at 07:36, 8 October 2024

2024-10-08T07:36:39Z

172.69.65.212 at 17:59, 3 October 2024

2024-10-03T17:59:28Z

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 Since [[Randall]] is warning about [[:Category:Climate change|climate change]] in several of his comics, he likely sees this as an important step away from the use of fossil fuel.
-The comic’s title text adds a similar, but even more ludicrous, metric for earth excavated for a rabbit warren. The volume of earth described, 0.1&#x202F;nm × 240,000&#x202F;km<sup>2</sup>, is equal to 24&#x202F;m<sup>3</sup> (≈ 31 cubic yards). The text refers to {{w|Watership Down}}, a 1972 novel about a group of English rabbits. (A sole sequel to Watership Down, {{w|Tales from Watership Down}}, was published in 1996.) The text also refers to a former rabbit-run coal plant in the UK and claims that it was shut down in the 1990s. No actual {{w|Run, Rabbit, Run|rabbit-run}} coal plants have ever been documented.{{cn}}
+The comic’s title text adds a similar, but even more ludicrous, metric for earth excavated for a rabbit warren. The volume of earth described, 0.1&#x202F;nm × 240,000&#x202F;km<sup>2</sup>, is equal to 24&#x202F;m<sup>3</sup> (≈ 31 cubic yards). The text refers to {{w|Watership Down}}, a 1972 novel about a group of English rabbits. (A sole sequel to Watership Down, {{w|Tales from Watership Down}}, was published in 1996.) The text also refers to a former rabbit-run coal plant in the UK and claims that it was shut down in the 1990s. No actual {{w|Run, Rabbit, Run|rabbit-run}} coal plants have ever been documented.{{Citation needed}}
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 Since [[Randall]] is warning about [[:Category:Climate change|climate change]] in several of his comics, he likely sees this as an important step away from the use of fossil fuel.
-The comic’s title text adds a similar, but even more ludicrous, metric for earth excavated for a rabbit warren. The volume of earth described, 0.1&#x202F;nm × 240,000&#x202F;km<sup>2</sup>, is equal to 24&#x202F;m<sup>3</sup> (≈ 31 cubic yards). The text refers to {{w|Watership Down}}, a 1972 novel about a group of English rabbits. (A sole sequel to Watership Down, {{w|Tales from Watership Down}}, was published in 1996.) The text also refers to a former rabbit-run coal plant in the UK and claims that it was shut down in the 1990s. No actual {{w|Run, Rabbit, Run|rabbit-run}} coal plants have ever been documented.{{fact}}
+The comic’s title text adds a similar, but even more ludicrous, metric for earth excavated for a rabbit warren. The volume of earth described, 0.1&#x202F;nm × 240,000&#x202F;km<sup>2</sup>, is equal to 24&#x202F;m<sup>3</sup> (≈ 31 cubic yards). The text refers to {{w|Watership Down}}, a 1972 novel about a group of English rabbits. (A sole sequel to Watership Down, {{w|Tales from Watership Down}}, was published in 1996.) The text also refers to a former rabbit-run coal plant in the UK and claims that it was shut down in the 1990s. No actual {{w|Run, Rabbit, Run|rabbit-run}} coal plants have ever been documented.{{cn}}
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ==Explanation==
-This comic uses dimensional analysis to describe the end of coal-powered energy production in the United Kingdom, in reference to the [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y35qz73n8o shutting down of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal power plant] in central England on Monday, September 30, 2024. This event signified the closure of the last coal-fired power plant in the UK. This is an important milestone in global energy use, because the United NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE Kingdom was at the forefront of the {{w|Industrial Revolution}}, which began an era of large-scale coal extraction to fuel the world's industries. Over the course of the past several decades, coal has increasingly fallen out of favor, with natural gas becoming a more viable power source, and an increasing percentage of energy needs being met without the use of fossil fuels (from sources such as nuclear, hydro, solar and wind power). The fact that the UK has now fully transitioned away from the use of coal as a major energy source marks a major shift in how industrialized nations are powered.
+This comic uses dimensional analysis to describe the end of coal-powered energy production in the United Kingdom, in reference to the [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y35qz73n8o shutting down of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal power plant] in central England on Monday, September 30, 2024. This event signified the closure of the last coal-fired power plant in the UK. This is an important milestone in global energy use, because the United Kingdom was at the forefront of the {{w|Industrial Revolution}}, which began an era of large-scale coal extraction to fuel the world's industries. Over the course of the past several decades, coal has increasingly fallen out of favor, with natural gas becoming a more viable power source, and an increasing percentage of energy needs being met without the use of fossil fuels (from sources such as nuclear, hydro, solar and wind power). The fact that the UK has now fully transitioned away from the use of coal as a major energy source marks a major shift in how industrialized nations are powered.
 UK coal ''production'' has also been in decline significantly since {{w|1984–1985 United Kingdom miners' strike|the politically enforced decline in the 1980s}}, and the proposed opening of the new {{w|Woodhouse Colliery}} in Cumbria [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62533nyvzwo seems to have been stopped], leaving just the [https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-statistics-2023/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-received-by-the-coal-authority-january-to-march-2023 remnants of the coal-mining industry] active. There remain uses for coal, both locally obtained and imported, but the conversion away from coal [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c70zxjldqnxo in various industries] marks a possible soft-end to the era of coal use in Britain. The equation shown in the comic determines how much coal was mined in the UK with respect to the surface area of the region, and calculates that this represents the removal of an average of about 8.0 cm (in imperial units, 3.2 inches) across the whole of the United Kingdom. This is another example of Randall doing unusual unit cancellation, as seen for instance in the ''What If?'' chapter [https://what-if.xkcd.com/11/ Droppings]. The accompanying picture implies that this coal has actually been removed in an even layer across the surface area of the country, resulting in ground level now being three inches lower. In reality, coal is extracted from deposits in specific locations, leaving other areas generally unaffected. Also while some of it has been {{w|Open-pit_mining| open-cast mined}}, leaving visible quarrying scars (that may have been partially relandscaped), much of it has been mined sub-surface, with minimal effect on the surface itself, except where it may cause {{w|Flash (lake)|localized subsidence}}, sometimes of significant depth.

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ==Explanation==
-This comic uses dimensional analysis to describe the end of coal-powered energy production in the United Kingdom, in reference to the [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y35qz73n8o shutting down of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal power plant] in central England on Monday, September 30, 2024. This event signified the closure of the last coal-fired power plant in the UK. This is an important milestone in global energy use, because the United Kingdom was at the forefront of the {{w|Industrial Revolution}}, which began an era of large-scale coal extraction to fuel the world's industries. Over the course of the past several decades, coal has increasingly fallen out of favor, with natural gas becoming a more viable power source, and an increasing percentage of energy needs being met without the use of fossil fuels (from sources such as nuclear, hydro, solar and wind power). The fact that the UK has now fully transitioned away from the use of coal as a major energy source marks a major shift in how industrialized nations are powered.
+This comic uses dimensional analysis to describe the end of coal-powered energy production in the United Kingdom, in reference to the [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y35qz73n8o shutting down of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal power plant] in central England on Monday, September 30, 2024. This event signified the closure of the last coal-fired power plant in the UK. This is an important milestone in global energy use, because the United NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE NOTRUMPWON2024MAGAFORLIFE Kingdom was at the forefront of the {{w|Industrial Revolution}}, which began an era of large-scale coal extraction to fuel the world's industries. Over the course of the past several decades, coal has increasingly fallen out of favor, with natural gas becoming a more viable power source, and an increasing percentage of energy needs being met without the use of fossil fuels (from sources such as nuclear, hydro, solar and wind power). The fact that the UK has now fully transitioned away from the use of coal as a major energy source marks a major shift in how industrialized nations are powered.
 UK coal ''production'' has also been in decline significantly since {{w|1984–1985 United Kingdom miners' strike|the politically enforced decline in the 1980s}}, and the proposed opening of the new {{w|Woodhouse Colliery}} in Cumbria [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62533nyvzwo seems to have been stopped], leaving just the [https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-statistics-2023/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-received-by-the-coal-authority-january-to-march-2023 remnants of the coal-mining industry] active. There remain uses for coal, both locally obtained and imported, but the conversion away from coal [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c70zxjldqnxo in various industries] marks a possible soft-end to the era of coal use in Britain. The equation shown in the comic determines how much coal was mined in the UK with respect to the surface area of the region, and calculates that this represents the removal of an average of about 8.0 cm (in imperial units, 3.2 inches) across the whole of the United Kingdom. This is another example of Randall doing unusual unit cancellation, as seen for instance in the ''What If?'' chapter [https://what-if.xkcd.com/11/ Droppings]. The accompanying picture implies that this coal has actually been removed in an even layer across the surface area of the country, resulting in ground level now being three inches lower. In reality, coal is extracted from deposits in specific locations, leaving other areas generally unaffected. Also while some of it has been {{w|Open-pit_mining| open-cast mined}}, leaving visible quarrying scars (that may have been partially relandscaped), much of it has been mined sub-surface, with minimal effect on the surface itself, except where it may cause {{w|Flash (lake)|localized subsidence}}, sometimes of significant depth.

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:23, 30 October 2024
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	[[Category:Animals]]		[[Category:Animals]]
−	~~[[Category:Comics with arrows]]~~

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:09, 30 October 2024
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	[[Category:Fiction]]		[[Category:Fiction]]
	[[Category:Animals]]		[[Category:Animals]]
		+	[[Category:Comics with arrows]]

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 The calculation can be performed as follows:
 *UK total coal production: 25 billion = 25,000,000,000; tonnes = metric tons = 1000kg. So 25 billion tonnes = 25,000,000,000,000kg
-*coal seam density: 1L = 0.001m^3. So 1.3kg/L = 1300kg/m^3.
+*coal seam density: 1L = 0.001m<sup>3</sup>. So 1.3kg/L = 1300kg/m<sup>3</sup>.
-*UK land area: 1km^2 = 1,000,000m^2. So 240,000km^2 = 240,000,000,000m^2.
+*UK land area: 1km<sup>2</sup> = 1,000,000m<sup>2</sup>. So 240,000km<sup>2</sup> = 240,000,000,000m<sup>2</sup>.
 *25,000,000,000,000/(1300 * 240,000,000,000) = 25,000,000,000,000/312,000,000,000,000 = 25/312 = 0.08
-*kg/[(kg/m^3)*m^2]=1/(m^2/m^3)=m^3/m^2=m
+*kg/[(kg/m<sup>3</sup>)*m<sup>2</sup>] = 1/(m<sup>2</sup>/m<sup>3</sup>) = m<sup>3</sup>/m<sup>2</sup> = m
-*0.08m=8cm=3.2 inches (1 inch = 2.54cm)
+*0.08m = 8cm = 3.2 inches (1 inch = 2.54cm)
 ''UK DESNZ'', referenced in the comic, is the United Kingdom's {{w|Department for Energy Security and Net Zero}}, the source for the statistic on UK total coal production from 1853 to present; see DESNZ's historical statistics of coal production [https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/historical-coal-data-coal-production-availability-and-consumption here].

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:19, 14 October 2024
Line 13:		Line 13:

	UK coal ''production'' has also been in decline significantly since {{w\|1984–1985 United Kingdom miners' strike\|the politically enforced decline in the 1980s}}, and the proposed opening of the new {{w\|Woodhouse Colliery}} in Cumbria [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62533nyvzwo seems to have been stopped], leaving just the [https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-statistics-2023/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-received-by-the-coal-authority-january-to-march-2023 remnants of the coal-mining industry] active. There remain uses for coal, both locally obtained and imported, but the conversion away from coal [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c70zxjldqnxo in various industries] marks a possible soft-end to the era of coal use in Britain. The equation shown in the comic determines how much coal was mined in the UK with respect to the surface area of the region, and calculates that this represents the removal of an average of about 8.0 cm (in imperial units, 3.2 inches) across the whole of the United Kingdom. This is another example of Randall doing unusual unit cancellation, as seen for instance in the ''What If?'' chapter [https://what-if.xkcd.com/11/ Droppings]. The accompanying picture implies that this coal has actually been removed in an even layer across the surface area of the country, resulting in ground level now being three inches lower. In reality, coal is extracted from deposits in specific locations, leaving other areas generally unaffected. Also while some of it has been {{w\|Open-pit_mining\| open-cast mined}}, leaving visible quarrying scars (that may have been partially relandscaped), much of it has been mined sub-surface, with minimal effect on the surface itself, except where it may cause {{w\|Flash (lake)\|localized subsidence}}, sometimes of significant depth.		UK coal ''production'' has also been in decline significantly since {{w\|1984–1985 United Kingdom miners' strike\|the politically enforced decline in the 1980s}}, and the proposed opening of the new {{w\|Woodhouse Colliery}} in Cumbria [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62533nyvzwo seems to have been stopped], leaving just the [https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-statistics-2023/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-received-by-the-coal-authority-january-to-march-2023 remnants of the coal-mining industry] active. There remain uses for coal, both locally obtained and imported, but the conversion away from coal [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c70zxjldqnxo in various industries] marks a possible soft-end to the era of coal use in Britain. The equation shown in the comic determines how much coal was mined in the UK with respect to the surface area of the region, and calculates that this represents the removal of an average of about 8.0 cm (in imperial units, 3.2 inches) across the whole of the United Kingdom. This is another example of Randall doing unusual unit cancellation, as seen for instance in the ''What If?'' chapter [https://what-if.xkcd.com/11/ Droppings]. The accompanying picture implies that this coal has actually been removed in an even layer across the surface area of the country, resulting in ground level now being three inches lower. In reality, coal is extracted from deposits in specific locations, leaving other areas generally unaffected. Also while some of it has been {{w\|Open-pit_mining\| open-cast mined}}, leaving visible quarrying scars (that may have been partially relandscaped), much of it has been mined sub-surface, with minimal effect on the surface itself, except where it may cause {{w\|Flash (lake)\|localized subsidence}}, sometimes of significant depth.
		+
		+	The calculation can be performed as follows:
		+	*UK total coal production: 25 billion = 25,000,000,000; tonnes = metric tons = 1000kg. So 25 billion tonnes = 25,000,000,000,000kg
		+	*coal seam density: 1L = 0.001m^3. So 1.3kg/L = 1300kg/m^3.
		+	*UK land area: 1km^2 = 1,000,000m^2. So 240,000km^2 = 240,000,000,000m^2.
		+	25,000,000,000,000/(1300 240,000,000,000) = 25,000,000,000,000/312,000,000,000,000 = 25/312 = 0.08
		+	kg/[(kg/m^3)m^2]=1/(m^2/m^3)=m^3/m^2=m
		+	*0.08m=8cm=3.2 inches (1 inch = 2.54cm)

	''UK DESNZ'', referenced in the comic, is the United Kingdom's {{w\|Department for Energy Security and Net Zero}}, the source for the statistic on UK total coal production from 1853 to present; see DESNZ's historical statistics of coal production [https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/historical-coal-data-coal-production-availability-and-consumption here].		''UK DESNZ'', referenced in the comic, is the United Kingdom's {{w\|Department for Energy Security and Net Zero}}, the source for the statistic on UK total coal production from 1853 to present; see DESNZ's historical statistics of coal production [https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/historical-coal-data-coal-production-availability-and-consumption here].

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:36, 8 October 2024
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	==Explanation==		==Explanation==
−	~~{{incomplete\|Created by a BOT RUNNING ON 3 INCHES OF THE UK - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}~~
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	This comic uses dimensional analysis to describe the end of coal-powered energy production in the United Kingdom, in reference to the [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y35qz73n8o shutting down of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal power plant] in central England on Monday, September 30, 2024. This event signified the closure of the last coal-fired power plant in the UK. This is an important milestone in global energy use, because the United Kingdom was at the forefront of the {{w\|Industrial Revolution}}, which began an era of large-scale coal extraction to fuel the world's industries. Over the course of the past several decades, coal has increasingly fallen out of favor, with natural gas becoming a more viable power source, and an increasing percentage of energy needs being met without the use of fossil fuels (from sources such as nuclear, hydro, solar and wind power). The fact that the UK has now fully transitioned away from the use of coal as a major energy source marks a major shift in how industrialized nations are powered.		This comic uses dimensional analysis to describe the end of coal-powered energy production in the United Kingdom, in reference to the [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y35qz73n8o shutting down of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal power plant] in central England on Monday, September 30, 2024. This event signified the closure of the last coal-fired power plant in the UK. This is an important milestone in global energy use, because the United Kingdom was at the forefront of the {{w\|Industrial Revolution}}, which began an era of large-scale coal extraction to fuel the world's industries. Over the course of the past several decades, coal has increasingly fallen out of favor, with natural gas becoming a more viable power source, and an increasing percentage of energy needs being met without the use of fossil fuels (from sources such as nuclear, hydro, solar and wind power). The fact that the UK has now fully transitioned away from the use of coal as a major energy source marks a major shift in how industrialized nations are powered.