Fossil Fuels form the main Energy source for  humanity due to their abundance,general ease of extraction and high energy density.However the Environmental costs and the Loss of Lives behind their production is generally hidden from the public.The external costs of fossil fuels like Oil and Coal are very high and not explicitly paid by customers .These costs are paid indirectly through health and pollution hazards and by the  loss of thousands of  human lives.The BP Oil Spill has recently highlighted the pernicious effects of extracting these Dirty Forms of Energy .The BP Oil Spill led to a loss of 11 lives when the Oil Rig exploded and will lead to immense costs to the ecology and wildlife which can’t be quantified.$20 Billion which BP is going to reserve in an escrow fund does not measure the massive destruction that is being caused.Oil explosions and Leaks continue to happen unabated around the world on an ongoing basis though they do not receive the same media attention.

Coal Mining is one of the Leading Human Killers

Coal Mining is one of the most hazardous of all industrial activities.Loss of lives due to disasters in Coal Mines are routine matters in countries like India and China.Even developed countries with higher safety standards like the US have seen deaths being caused due to explosions in Coal Mines.The recent accident at Massey Energy highlights the dangers of Coal Extraction.2000-3000 people are killed every year in India and China in coal mining disasters.Coal mining is one of the leading cause of death in industrial activities.Here is a list from wikipedia about the history of coal mine disasters

The Ever-Growing Human Cost of China’s Coal – Times

China’s coal mining industry saw another disaster today when an mine explosion in the central province of Henan killed 46 miners on the spot. The mine, located in one of China’s biggest coal producing regions, was allegedly operating illegally, according to the government-run Xinhua news agency. Though the cause of the blast is still not known, 72 miners were trapped after explosives blew up in the mine. Twenty-six escaped.In China, such disasters occur with depressing regularity, but that doesn’t make them any less tragic. When I first moved to Hong Kong in 2007, I was shocked to read the constant tally in daily news blurbs of the very frequent — and very deadly — mining accidents unfolding next door on the mainland. That, as it turned out, was shaping up to be a particularly bad time. In 2008, 3,215 people were killed in China’s coal mines; by 2009, the number dropped to 2,631.

Massey faces criminal probe for mine blast: sources – Reuters

Massey Energy Co is under criminal investigation by the FBI after the deadly mine explosion in West Virginia, U.S. officials familiar with the matter said on Friday, news that sent the company’s stock plummeting.The FBI is probing the company and the circumstances surrounding the explosion which killed 29 miners, including for potential negligence, the officials said, declining further identification.

Renewable Energy a Cleaner and Humane Way to Satiate Energy Demand

The Global Financial Crisis has made the world to reduce focus on the problems of Peak Oil,Energy Security and Global Warming.However these problems remain as pertinent and dangerous as ever.Renewable Energy makes sense not only from the above perspective ,but they are also a more humane and environment friendly way to meet the world’s Energy demands.The costs of these forms of energy are continuously declining compared to the increasing prices of fossil fuels.Plus most important of all,the usage of Renewable Energy unlike our Addiction of Fossil Fuels does not lead to loss of human lives