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2 Obras 93 Miembros 14 Reseñas

Sobre El Autor

Richard Martin is an award-winning science writer whose work has appeared in Wired, Time, Fortune, The Atlantic, and The Best Science Writing of 2004. He is the editorial director of Navigant Research, a leading clean energy firm. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Obras de Richard Martin

Etiquetado

Conocimiento común

Fecha de nacimiento
1958
Género
male

Miembros

Reseñas

This book is filled with facts and information about why coal is destroying the planet, and also why it is hurting us individuals who live on the planet. There is history, there is state-by-state and country-by-country analysis. And the part I liked best, there are lots of stories about the humans directly involved in coal production, those who profit, those who die, those who know no other way of life and are afraid of seeing that way of life end.

"After years of crawling through dark tunnels to scrape coal out of the earth, miners tend to have plenty of bodily complaints. Many wind up on disability payments, and the physicians of the region have not been stingy in prescribing Oxycodone, Methadone, and Xanax. Kentucky is the fourth-most-medicated state in the country, according to an analysis by Forbes magazine (coal mining states West Virginia and Tennessee are nos. 1 and 2, respectively)."

Given all that, I almost gave up on the book early on. While it is obvious what the author thinks about "coal wars," the beginning was crammed with facts and a bit of histrionics, but not much true heart. Fortunately, that changed as the book went on, but it did not get off to a good start for me.

Of course, there are still the deniers like Mitch McConnell, and the author pulls no punches.

"Big Coal" is slowing down in many areas, but the author makes undeniable points about why slowing down is not enough, why the euphemistic Clean Coal is not the answer. Without truly clean and renewable energy replacing our traditional energy, we are poisoning the planet and ourselves.

While the book is interesting and informative, a subject important to all of us whether we think about it or not, the slow start almost made me give up, and I would have missed some good information. For that reason, I'm giving it 3 stars.

I was given an advance readers copy of the book for review, and the quote may have changed in the published edition.
… (más)
 
Denunciada
TooBusyReading | otra reseña | Mar 28, 2015 |
Richard Martin states right at the start of his book "Coal Wars" his belief that the decline of the coal industry is irreversible. But the industry is not going down without a fight. Even though Martin believes coal needs to go, he has written a balanced overview of the state of the industry. He clearly outlines the pros and cons of coal and the arguments for why we need to continue its use as a source of energy and why it is imperative we find substitutes. He takes the reader on a tour of the key coal producing regions of the world. He reports on his interviews with scientists, environmentalists, industry moguls, coal workers, community activists, and residents of coal towns. More than simply providing the facts about the coal industry and its impact economically and environmentally, Martin tells the human story of coal. He takes the reader into the trenches of the coal wars to understand what is at stake for those who are in the fight. Martin has no doubt the coal industry is dying. What is in question is whether its death will come in time to save the life of the planet. A worthwhile read for anyone concerned about how we source our energy, which should be all of us.… (más)
 
Denunciada
mitchellray | otra reseña | Mar 8, 2015 |
Esta reseña ha sido escrita por los Primeros Reseñadores de LibraryThing.
Richard Martin brings the reader a look at a source of energy that has largely been ignored a primary option: thorium nuclear power. The history of thorium as an energy source is an energy one, and its safety relative to other, more well known alternatives has left it lagging behind when the world sought the dangerous byproducts of uranium which could be used for weapons. Thorium is safer, argues Martin, and has much more tightly controlled processes which minimize negative impacts while providing a significant source of relatively cheap energy. The book is a solid look at this energy option and one I would recommend for anyone interested in the subject. While it can be dry at times, Martin clearly has a strong handle on the issue and offers a glimpse into what could be a revolutionary shift in our energy production.… (más)
 
Denunciada
IslandDave | 11 reseñas más. | Jul 21, 2014 |
Esta reseña ha sido escrita por los Primeros Reseñadores de LibraryThing.
Superfuel: Thorium, the Green Energy Source for the Future explores the history of the 90th element on the periodic table. The author provides a powerful case for using thorium as a superfuel. It was amazing to read about how many times this resource has been overlooked by scientists and others seeking sources of fuel. Although at times I felt the explanations were oversimplified, the author does a nice job explore the past, present, and potential future of thorium as a green energy source.
½
 
Denunciada
eduscapes | 11 reseñas más. | Jan 12, 2014 |

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Estadísticas

Obras
2
Miembros
93
Popularidad
#200,859
Valoración
½ 3.7
Reseñas
14
ISBNs
146
Idiomas
6

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