Blackout: Coal, Climate and the Last Energy Crisis
Richard Heinberg
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October 31, 2009
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Coal fuels more than 30 percent of UK electricity production, and about 50 percent in the US, providing a significant portion of total energy output. China and India's recent ferocious economic growth has been based almost entirely on coal-generated electricity. Coal currently looks like a solution to many of our fast-growing energy problems. However, while coal advocates are urging us full steam ahead, the increasing reliance on this dirtiest of all fossil fuels has crucial implications for energy policy, pollution levels, the global climate, world economy and geopolitics. Drawbacks to a coal-based energy strategy include: Scarcity - new studies suggest that the peak of world coal production may actually be less than two decades away; Cost - the quality of produced coal is declining, while the expense of transportation is rising, leading to spiralling costs and increasing shortages; and, Climate impacts - our ability to deal with the historic challenge of climate change may hinge on reducing coal consumption in future years. "Blackout" goes to the heart of the tough energy questions that will dominate every sphere of public policy throughout the first half of this century. It is critical reading for planners, educators and anyone concerned about energy security, oil depletion and climate change.
Richard Heinberg is widely acknowledged as one of the world's foremost Peak Oil educators. A journalist, editor, lecturer, and Senior Fellow of the Post Carbon Institute, he is the award-winning author of seven previous books including Peak Everything, The Party's Over, and Powerdown. Richard has appeared in many documentaries (including The 11th Hour) and national radio and television programs.
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Richard Heinberg | Author, Journalist, Editor, and Senior Fellow of the Post Carbon Institute
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