Coal

AvMark C. Thurber

Häftad, Engelska, 2019

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Beskrivning

By making available the almost unlimited energy stored in prehistoric plant matter, coal enabled the industrial age – and it still does. Coal today generates more electricity worldwide than any other energy source, helping to drive economic growth in major emerging markets. And yet, continued reliance on this ancient rock carries a high price in smog and greenhouse gases.We use coal because it is cheap: cheap to scrape from the ground, cheap to move, cheap to burn in power plants with inadequate environmental controls. In this book, Mark Thurber explains how coal producers, users, financiers, and technology exporters drive this supply chain, while fragmented environmental movements battle for full incorporation of environmental costs into the global calculus of coal. Delving into the politics of energy versus the environment at local, national, and international levels, Thurber paints a vivid picture of the multi-faceted challenges associated with continued coal production and use in the twenty-first century.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2019-03-29
Mått:147 x 208 x 20 mm
Vikt:318 g
Format:Häftad
Språk:Engelska
Serie:Resources
Antal sidor:200
Förlag:John Wiley and Sons Ltd
ISBN:9781509514014

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Mer om författaren

Mark C. Thurber is Associate Director of the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development at Stanford University.

Recensioner i media

“Coal pushed the industrial era into existence. Today, with global warming, coal is among the biggest threats. Mark Thurber applies his sharp analytical mind, the balance of an historian, and an elegant pen to this vital subject. Everyone will learn something important from this lovely little book.”David Victor, University of California, San Diego“Thurber presents an overview of coal's role in past and present energy systems as well as key factors affecting its future in both developed and developing countries, offering a clear non-polemical analysis of coal's economic, environmental, and energy security attributes.”Howard Gruenspecht, former Deputy Administrator, US Energy Information Administration

Innehållsförteckning

1 The Double-Edged Sword of Coal Fueling the world with coalCoal’s environmental problemsThe nature of energy resourcesFactors shaping the future of coalConclusionNotes2 The Quest for Energy SecurityCoal: the first source of (nearly) unlimited energyCoal as the OECD’s antidote to oil insecurityChina’s coal-based energy security paradigmCoal and energy security in IndiaCoal and energy security in other developing countriesWill we run out of coal?Critiquing the energy security rationale for coalConclusionNotes3 Tensions along the Coal Value ChainUnderground mining and its risksProductivity improvements in miningThe politics of declining coal sector employmentBenefits and harms to local communitiesCoal transportationCoal power (and pollution)The coal value chain fights backThe coal–power conflictConclusionNotes4 Environmental Politics and PolicymakingIncorporating environmental externalitiesDrivers of environmental policyPublic support for environmental protectionInstitutional capacity and environmental regulation: The cases of China and IndiaEnvironmental groups versus coalInternational finance and international climate politicsThe impact of environmental advocacyConclusionNotes5 Alternatives to CoalCoal vs. nuclearCoal vs. natural gasCoal vs. wind and solarCoal vs. cleaner coalThe challenge of replacing coking coalProgress in coal alternativesConclusionNotes6 Policy, Technology, and the Future of CoalWhy has coal persisted as the “default fuel”?Climate policy and technological changeThe future of coalNotesSelected ReadingsIndex