Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America's Energy Future.

In support of a homegrown energy source that might lessen this country's reliance on Middle East oil, some politicians have recently touted coal. The Department of Energy estimates that the United States has 270 billion tons of recoverable coal, enough to power U.S. homes, offices, and factories for 250 years. However, Goodell reveals in this book why coal may not be the answer to our energy woes, especially in light of the century-long toll coal has already taken on the environment and people's health. He begins with the inherent danger in coal mining to the people who work underground, as evidenced by several recent tragedies. He details how coal-burning furnaces contribute to air pollution, producing almost 40 percent of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide that is released into U.S. air by all sources. People living near power and manufacturing plants operating such furnaces are plagued by health problems. Overall, Goodell attempts to remove what he claims is a veil of denial about the effects of coal as an energy source.

Houghton Mifflin, 2006, 324 p., hardcover, $25.95.