Coal Wars

by Richard Martin

[Beth C.]

Any book that can make a scientific topic not only understandable, but truly *readable* to me is a good book. When it happens to be about coal, the world's dependence upon it, and those big players who insist that the reduction of our dependency is impossible...then that book must be partially magic, for this topic is not my typical bedtime reading.

Richard Martin has written such a book, traveling from Kentucky to China and places in between to get the story on how and why coal is still as strong as it is. He effectively makes the argument that coal is facing a crisis from which it won't recover, though it's death knoll won't be rung any time soon. It's almost compulsively readable, and absolutely fascinating. And for those of you who are absolutely convinced that man-made global warming is a hoax, then be warned - Martin makes absolutely no bones about the fact that his belief in it is real, that it is now, and that it will soon become irreversible if something is not done. So read at the risk of learning something that flies in the face of your own beliefs.

Frankly, this book should be required reading for most. It makes a compelling argument, and most importantly, he posits that the workers must be taken care of for our coal dependence to have a chance of waning. He throws out a suggestion of something similar to the GI Bill, which, personally, I find almost brilliant. Better to retrain the workforce than have them jobless - these are hardworking people who deserve to be successful in another field.

So. Read the book. Weep over the monster we have created, or cheer over the steps that seem so incrementally positive. Maybe even both, sometimes together. Then decide to stay involved and educated - if not for YOUR future, then for the ones that follow.