Big Coal: Summary and book reviews of Big Coal by Jeff Goodell, plus links to an excerpt from Big Coal and a biography of Jeff Goodell.

In the tradition of Rachel Carson and Eric Schlosser, the veteran journalist Jeff Goodell examines the danger behind President George W. Bush's recent assertion that coal is America's "economic destiny."

Despite a devastating, century-long legacy that has claimed millions of lives and ravaged the environment, coal has become hot again -- and will likely get hotter. In this penetrating analysis, Goodell debunks the faulty assumptions underlying coal's revival and shatters the myth of cheap coal energy. In a compelling blend of hard-hitting investigative reporting, history, and industry assessment, Goodell illuminates the stark economic imperatives America faces and the collusion of business and politics -- what is meant by "big coal" -- that have set us on the dangerous course toward reliance on this energy source.

Few of us realize that even today we burn a lump of coal every time we flip on a switch. Coal already supplies more than half the energy needed to power our iPods, laptops, lights -- anything we use that consumes electricity. Our desire to find a homegrown alternative to Mideast oil, the rising cost of oil and natural gas, and the fossil fuel-friendly mood in Washington will soon push our coal consumption through the roof. Because we have failed to develop alternative energy sources, coal has effectively become the default fuel for the twenty-first century.

• More than 1/2 of the USA's electricity comes from coal.
• The USA burns more than a billion tons of coal a year. That's an average of 20 lbs per person per day.
• Coal plants account for 40% of carbon dioxide emissions in the USA.

Goodell presents a wealth of fascinating facts such as these in his well researched book, which does an excellent job of presenting the case without overloading the reader with scientific jargon or too much statistical information.  
Full Review (883 words).

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