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  • Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America's Energy Future
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Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America's Energy Future Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Jeff Goodell (Author), Peter Larkin (Narrator), Audible Studios (Publisher)
4.4 out of 5 stars 59 ratings

鶹

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Long dismissed as a relic of a bygone era, coal is back -- with a vengence. Coal is one of the nation's biggest and most influential industries -- Big Coal provides more than half the electricity consumed by Americans today -- and its dominance is growing, driven by rising oil prices and calls for energy independence. Is coal the solution to America's energy problems?

On close examination, the glowing promise of coal quickly turns to ash. Coal mining remains a deadly and environmentally destructive industry. Nearly 40 percent of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere each year comes from coal-fired power plants. In the last two decades, air pollution from coal plants has killed more than half a million Americans.

In this eye-opening call to action, Goodell explains the costs and consequences of America's addiction to coal and discusses how we can kick the habit.

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  1. Listening Length
    10 hours and 22 minutes
  2. Author
    Jeff Goodell
  3. Narrator
    Peter Larkin
  4. Audible release date
    March 2 2010
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Audible Studios
  7. ASIN
    B072872448
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
Next slide of product details

Product details

Listening Length 10 hours and 22 minutes
Author Jeff Goodell
Narrator Peter Larkin
Audible.ca Release Date March 02 2010
Publisher Audible Studios
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B072872448
鶹 Rank

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4.4 out of 5 stars
59 global ratings

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  • Elizabeth
    5.0 out of 5 stars Goodell Makes Climate Change Understandable
    Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent narrative on how Big Coal has influenced energy usage throughout the U.S. over the past two centuries. Very readable and generally understandable for climate non-experts. I hope that a workable way to transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy can be found although it will not occur in my lifetime (I'm 88). I highly recommend this book as well as his others: "The Heat Will Kill You First" and "The "Water Will Come".
    Report
  • Reading Fan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Alarmist or Realist?
    Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2008
    Verified Purchase
    Is the earth about ready to ecologically bite the big one via coal-caused global warming, or is this whole thing blown out of proportion? I don't know; but I think we should play it safe and listen to Jeff Goodell. I might not agree with his liberal politics, but I do respect the study he has done on `Big Coal', which is full of fascinating and scary stats and observations. According to Goodell, each American indirectly causes 20 tons of CO2 to spew out into the air each year! Also, the U.S. is known as the `Saudi Arabia of Coal', containing fully a quarter of the earth's coal supply, and consuming over a billion tons a year! Some coal trains are a mile-long! The last nuclear plant went on-line over 30 years ago because of the problem of what to do with nuclear waste.

    He says the earth's ecology is at the tipping point of some serious global warming because of `Big Coal'. He says that we've already raised the average temperature one degree farenheit and are well on the way to a 3.5 degrees increase which will start a catastrophic series of events in nature that we don't even want to think about. He says that it would overall, society-wide, be cheaper to clean-up the coal emissions rather than pay for the health problems the dirty air causes.

    The strange thing is that the coal issue is not even talked about very much, probably because most of us are so far removed from coal excavation or plants. Goodell said he had not even seen a piece of coal until he was 41 (presumably while writing this book.). By the way, I used to see coal as a kid because we had a coal furnace, but haven't seen any since. You could see lumps in the street also.

    All of this reminds me a little of Y2K. Nobody got excited about it until it was almost too late. Then there was a all-out (and successful) effort to avert massive computer problems.

    Now I think it's time to do something about the coal situation before it is too late. Is Goodell an alarmist or a realist? I hope he's only the former, but fear he is also the latter.
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  • Frederick S. Goethel
    4.0 out of 5 stars How and Why We Are Using a 19th Century Fuel in the 21st Century
    Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2007
    Verified Purchase
    Although this was in my library for some time, I decided to read it now due to the mining accidents in Utah and China. I was hoping it might shed some light on why the number of mining accidents seems to be increasing, which it did. It also provided a host of other information about coal and the companies that mine and burn coal that was fascinating.

    From mountain top removal mining, to reverse mining to open pit mining, the author covers how coal is mined in detail. He also looks at the economics of coal in tunneled mines versus strip mines and why West Virginia and surrounding areas are so poorly compensated for the work they do. It was amazing to see the mine operator's comments in Utah on the news, while reading his previous statements that were detailed in the book. It became quite obvious that his interests in the miners trapped in Utah were more economic than true sympathy for the miners or their families.

    The second section deals with the burning of coal, and why it is so well loved by utilities. Basically, coal burned in older generation plants is a license to print money and the coal and utility companies are fully aware of the damage done, but put profits ahead of anything and everything. Further, the author details the obstructionist techniques used by these companies to keep coal going as a fuel.

    In the final section, the author details the damage being done by coal to the environment, as well as to humans who live downwind from the plants. He also looks at various solutions that could be employed today to make cola a much cleaner burning fuel and how this would affect the costs of electricity. He also ventures to China to see what they are doing about carbon releases and how we are helping to cause the massive build up of coal fired plants in Chine with our purchasing habits.

    This is a wonderful book that will answer almost any question you would have about the mining and burning of coal and why we are still using a 19th century fuel in the 21st century. It is very readable and should be read by every individual with a connection to the electric grid. My only complaint is in how the book was foot noted. No foot notes were present in the text, making it hard to line up the text with the notes at the end of the book.
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  • Jeff Kerr
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Expose
    Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2007
    Verified Purchase
    Goodell is an excellent writer, and the reporting contained in Big Coal could not be more timely. He has written the right book at the right time. The world of the coal industry is a bit like coal itself: it is buried--but not in the ground. Rather, it is covered by a thick layer of propaganda and public ignorance. Goodell unearths the unpleasant truths about coal mining, coal power, and the shady political game that both of these industries play. This is not so much a polemic, but simply a great piece of journalism. There are scores of fascinating personalities and memorable scenes. The book also achieves a remarkable overall synthesis. I could hardly put it down, and I think that if anyone was going to reveal the coal industry for what it is, Jeff Goodell was the one for the job.
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  • Luwanna D. Strawser
    5.0 out of 5 stars Big Coal shows us what really goes on in the coal industry
    Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Jeff Goodell has written a book that should be read by one and all. I participated in a group meeting that interviewed Mr. Goodell and his graciousness and willingness to answer our varied questions was greatly appreciated. His ability to show the human side of this story is amazing. From the train conductors to the coal miners you learn about the path coal takes to make it into your home to run your electrical devices. Jeff Goodell doesn't stop there--he shows the 'dirty' side of coal as well. While the Big Coal industry big wigs get rich and the Appalachian Mountians are destroyed, and the workers advance farther into poverty, the appetite of the American electrical consumer becomes even more ravenous. After reading this book you will look at your home, your behaviour, and the Big Coal industry in a whole different light.
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