Blackout: Coal, Climate and the Last Energy Crisis

Richard Heinberg has released his latest book BLACKOUT:Coal, Climate and the Last Energy Crisis.

David Fridley, a scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Labs says “Blackout reviews the most recent analyses of global coal reserves and concludes that peak coal production is likely much nearer than is commonly assumed. Heinberg argues cogently that the most rational strategy is to reduce consumption and to rethink our growth imperative.”

Coal fuels about fifty percent of US electricity production and provides a quarter of the country’s total energy. China and India’s ferocious economic growth is based on coal-generated electricity.

Coal currently looks like a solution to many of our fast-growing energy problems. However, while coal advocates are urging full steam ahead, increasing reliance on the dirtiest of all fossil fuels has crucial implications for climate science, energy policy, the world economy, and geopolitics.

Drawbacks to a coal-based energy strategy include: Scarcity