(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
The best book in my holiday bag was about something seemingly as boring as coal. Neither did you charcoal in the grill, but the fossil coal that used to fire the steamers, the first locomotives and the factories. This sooty substance has more than historical interest. The danger is imminent because coal is the future energy source for billions of people dreaming of cheap electricity and fuel.
Barbara Freese – a lawyer who first became interested in coal when she defended the state of Minnesota's environmental law in US courtrooms – has set out to present coal's blessings and curses throughout history in a way that tempts to read on. As follows Coal up the tradition of Mark Kurlansky's popular Cod, which also placed an everyday natural resource in the lead role. Coal is traced from the ancient forests that first captured the solar energy that was then stored in the ground for millions of years, to the coal-fired environmental problems of our time. Along the way, of course, you stop by war, expeditions, inventions, child labor and mining strikes – and high-sounding quotes from poets and philosophers about the qualities of the coal. We also learn that the ancient Romans and Chinese used coal for jewelry and decorations long before anyone thought of burning it.
That the litter both tempts and threatens is nothing new. In 1300th century London, the king banned coal firing in the homes following complaints of smoke. The ban was largely ignored, since firewood was in short supply. The dirty and unhealthy air eventually became the trademark of London, until a catastrophic pollution episode in the 1950s killed the city's population in droves and forced the authorities to ban the firing that caused the misery. Meanwhile, Britain had experienced the outbreak of an industrial revolution that was possible because of cheap energy from coal, a revolution that has turned its back on people's lives across most of the world.
Today, coal power plants account for forty percent of the world's electricity supply, and there is little evidence that the fuel that burned up during the industrial revolution should be disposed of immediately. The world's coal deposits are several times larger than the remaining oil and gas resources. Much is found in the energy-depriving United States and energy-hungry China. For the leaders of the two countries, who are expected to dominate the world in the 21st century, the litter has the tempting properties that it is cheap and is available in abundant quantities within its borders. By basing the power supply on coal, one thus becomes less dependent on expensive oil and gas imports from troubled world corners. For 250 years, fossil fuels have proven their ability to fuel large-scale economic growth, which is as crucial to the Chinese Communist Party's continued grip on power as it is to the re-election of US presidents. There is therefore a great deal to do in order to take the chance that the environmental movement's favorite solutions such as wind turbines, solar cells or energy savings will put the energy hunger. Yet Freese argues vehemently that this is the way to go.
Millions of people benefit from electricity and heat from the coal, but the back of the medal continues to be environmental problems. In China, millions of sick people and thousands die each year due to both record air pollution both indoors and outdoors, especially from inefficient combustion of coal. Even in the United States, with its detailed environmental regulations for new plants, power plants built before the tightening of environmental legislation continue to release sulfur and other harmful substances to the air. The acid rainfall that has killed fish and other life in fresh water, including in Norway and Canada, is largely due to emissions from coal power plants.
These problems can be solved with the help of technology that is already on the market – if one can and will pay. It is different with the danger of a large-scale climate change due to human emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other so-called greenhouse gases, which is the topic of the book's last chapter. The broad outlines of the climate problem can be summarized in the following unpleasant information: The coal that is still stored in the ground contains several times as much carbon as we humans have emitted since the beginning of the industrial revolution – probably somewhere between three and ten times more. In the long run, the crucial question in terms of the extent of human contribution to the enhanced greenhouse effect is how much of this carbon will be released into the atmosphere through combustion. Of course, oil and gas are also important, along with deforestation – but the potential emissions from coal overshadow the other sources.
US authorities and companies are investing heavily in developing technology that can capture CO2 from coal-fired power plants and pump the gas into the ground rather than emitting it. This is the same type of technology that is hoped to provide emission-free gas-fired power plants in this country. The big vision is that coal-fired plants without CO2 emissions will one day also supply American cars with clean hydrogen fuel – and thus make the American dream climate-friendly and oil-independent at the same time. The problem, of course, is that such visions can at best become a reality well into the future. Meanwhile, the Bush administration is encouraging the establishment of new coal-fired power plants. The book documents how the planning of new facilities has now gained momentum after a long stay.
The world is, as you know, full of important books in English, and most people have nothing else to do but read them. The great thing about this particular thing is that it is short, entertaining and quite exceptionally well written. Of course, such a short book on such big questions has some missing. Barbara Freese has chosen to concentrate on three countries: England, USA and China. This is how she bypasses major and important chapters in the history of the coal, including from the European continent. Sometimes the simplifications needed to make a long story short will be imprecise. But the book is, overall, a little gem. Someone should translate it into Norwegian!
