cover image Coal Wars: The Future of Energy and the Fate of the Planet

Coal Wars: The Future of Energy and the Fate of the Planet

Richard Martin. Palgrave MacMillan, $28 (288p) ISBN 978-1-137-27934-7

In this engaging work of environmental reportage, Martin (Superfuel) goes on the road to encounter firsthand the battles raging in the war on coal. Those battles are now mostly waged on social, political, and economic fields, unlike the bloody conflicts of the past. Mine accidents do continue to kill workers, however, and coal power generation continues to cause health problems as well as contributing "over 44% of global carbon dioxide emissions." Coal isn't going down without a fight, as Martin clearly demonstrates in his travels around coal-producing states and nations, but the writing may be on the wall. As much as one fifth of the coal-burning capacity of the U.S. could be shut down in the next few years, he writes, with investor flight behind the slowdown: "Follow the money, and the path suggests that coal is losing the battle for the future." The case isn't as clear in China, where a nascent environmental movement and the government itself confront a voracious need for power. But Martin notes that "Unless China weans itself from coal in the next two decades, there is no chance of limiting global climate change." Despite this gloomy prospect and a recent upswing in coal use in Europe, Martin optimistically remarks that coal is ultimately "replaceable." (Apr.)