Coal: A Human History

by Barbara Freese

In this remarkable book, Barbara Freese takes us on a rich historical journey that begins hundreds of millions of years ago and spans the globe. Prized as “the best stone in Britain” by Roman invaders who carved jewelry out of it, coal has transformed societies, expanded frontiers, and sparked social movements, and still powers our electric grid. Yet coal’s world-changing power has come at a tremendous price, including centuries of blackening our skies and lungs—and now the dangerous warming of our global climate. Ranging from the “great stinking fogs” of London to the rat-infested coal mines of Pennsylvania, from the impoverished slums of Manchester to the toxic streets of Beijing, Coal is a captivating narrative about an ordinary substance with an extraordinary impact on human civilization.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Science, Microhistory, Environment, Economics, Audiobook

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 7, 2003

About the author

Barbara Freese is the author of Coal: A Human History, a New York Times Notable Book. She is an environmental attorney and a former Minnesota assistant attorney general. Her interest in corporate denial was sparked by cross-examining coal industry witnesses disputing the science of climate change. She lives in St. Paul.

Reviews

[Dan Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't a history of coal. OK, it is about coal, but a book written by a environmental lawyer isn't a history, it's a critique.

Which really is too bad, because the history of coal is about the triumph of human ingenuity and will over scarcity and poverty. Is it always a pretty picture? Not even close. And Ms. Freese does an excellent job portraying the miseries of children working in mines, the pollution of London, etc. etc.

But one gets the feeling that the miseries of coal are portrayed, not because they are simply fact, but to strengthen our faith in the environmental mythology that the world was a better place before the industrial revolution.

But the world is far too complex for such a simplistic history. In an apparent attempt to balance her views, Ms. Freese does, for example, allude to social and political problems that compounded the dirt and poverty of Manchester, but that is all. Just a brief allusion. After pages and pages cataloguing the miseries of coal, this brief sentence is all the balance this section of the book gets.

In her summary, Ms. Freese does admit to how critical coal was (and is) to our modern world. But she speaks with certainty about how the industrial revolution could have occurred more humanely. Well, so it could have. But it is pure hubris to look back and confidently assert that, "if we would have only been in charge, we could have done it way better." She doesn't say those exact words, but that attitude is clear.

Baloney. Fortunately she supplies us with exhibit A on why this attitude is not just wrong, but evil. She reviews Mao's attempt to industrialize China, and the misery and death inflicted on the longsuffering Chinese by people with the exact same attitude that Ms. Freese has: the certainty of being able to do things better, especially when endowed with virtual omnipotence.

I'm thankful that Ms. Freese isn't in that position. So by all means, read the book. Just avoid the attitude. Remember that the people of history were human. They did the best they could with what they had. If we could have done better, it is above all because we have learned from their situation. Correcting the errors of history has more to do with confronting the overconfident, overzealous elitism displayed by Ms. Freese than it does with "correctly" guiding common people who are just trying to improve their lives.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a friend. Since I live in coal country and my dad was a coal miner, I decided to check out this book. I thought it was going to only focus on the history of coal, but I should've known better considering today's climate (pun intended). The history sections were well presented. However, when it came time to discuss coals effect on the environment, I found it very one-sided without even considering any other point of view. One such statement was when the author insinuated that the world would be better had coal never been discovered or used. Her assumption that mankind would've discovered something better is laughable. If you live in coal country, grew up in coal country OR your livelihood is connected to coal you might want to consider this book. Just understand that outside the discussions of history, coal is painted as a destructive villain.

[Bibliovoracious · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coal can't be galvanized. But people sure can be, about the topic.

This is a fascinating journey through the story of coal from discovery, to resource, to modern political issue. This is a history book, rich in science, facts, and interesting human anecdotes while describing major socio-economic shifts and cultural changes wrought as a result of one unassuming mineral compound. One that somehow is STILL polarizing opinion.

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent environmental history but not really what I was hoping for. It's not really much of a "human history," except that it considers the impact of coal on civilization writ large in the UK, US, and China. It certainly doesn't spend any time on miners, the humans most directly concerned with coal, outside brief mentions of harsh working conditions and labor organization. There is almost no discussion of the actual mechanical processes involved in producing or using coal, and where that discussion exists it lacks sufficient technical detail to teach the reader anything.

I considered one-starring it for this reason: ostensibly 1/3 of the book is about the history of coal in the UK, and there is ONE mention of Wales in the entire book -- on page 16, the author notes that Bronze Age people in Wales used coal to cremate their dead. Unsat.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed, wanted a more detailed history of coal. Got major, faulty diatribe on global warming. Hey, guess what? Snake eggs are not hard shelled, they are soft. She couldn't even get that right. what else didn't she get right?! There has got to be a better read about coal than this.

[Leo Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, Coal: A Human History is a fascinating and balanced look at the enormous and often unsung impact that this little black rock has had on our lives. Without it, there would have been no British empire. Nor would there have been an Industrial Revolution. Nor would the United States, whose huge coal deposits power our electric plants to this day, have ever become the economic juggernaut it became in the 20th century.

Freese, though, is not simply a coal cheerleader. She also gives us the bad side of coal. It is a very dirty hydrocarbon. It is responsible for the majority of our CO2 output, as well as most of our other pollution problems -- from acid rain to particulate matter.

What I enjoyed about the book was its balance. It was not a hand-wringy Al Gore praching about the evils of coal. Nor is it a coal company encomium to the glory of the little black rock. Instead, she looks at both sides, and gives a fair account of the social impact of this amazing fuel.

I also liked some of her points at the end about alternative energy sources, like solar photovoltaics. Like those technologies, coal was once an exciting and "iffy" place to be. But as time went on, it became sexier -- especially as it gave rise to king steel and the railroad systems.

Now, coal may have run its course. Especially when we take into account Global Warming. It is no longer the sexy and exciting technology it was. And yet, the coal industry, instead of taking an active role in helping America use its product wisely, while they use their profits to fund research into future technologies, they spend time and money fighting regulation. Often, unfortunately, at the expense of the truth. In fact, most of the funding that still drives the "Global Warming Deniers" comes from coal companies.

But Freese ends on a positive note. She notes that, in the end, there will be a need for coal for a long time into the future. But, as the price of alternative energy sources plummet, they will be forced into ever more creative research. There are myriad ways of using coal, and nearly all hydrocarbons.

Could there be the next generation of plastics hidden in the molecular structure of coal, for instance?

Overall good read. Fast, enjoyable and thought provoking. Plus, it mentions my mom's birthplace --Pittsburgh. And how coal was vital to that city's rise. And gave us Carnegie and steel.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure whether or not I'm disappointed in this book. I've bee looking for a history of the coal industry for a while, and thought this might be the ticket. It does a great job looking at pre-industrial revolution uses of coal (the books best section), but falls down somewhat as it moves to 19th and 20th century America. There's some interesting discussion of the distinction between bituminous and anthracite coal and how their different placement shaped the coal industry, but I was left feeling like I had only read anecdotes. Ditto the final third of the book, which focuses on China's coal industry: just a bit shallow.
There's a lot of interesting stuff in this book, and if the author would have expanded this into a deeper, more comprehensive study of perhaps twice the length, I think it would be great.

One thing this book does do very well, however, which I appreciate: The author takes great care to prevent her environmental biases from clouding her analysis. For a book of this depth, her assessment of the balance of the costs and benefits of coal is very fair. I would have loved to see these issues explored in greater depth.

[Beth Cato · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting overview of the complex relationship between coal and humankind, how the natural resource propelled people into the industrial age and many technological advancements even as it kills with both intimate and widespread forms of poison. The focus is on the zones: Britain, western Pennsylvania, and China. Freese's approach is even-handed, blunt in her descriptions of coal as a blessing and a curse.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small book, written in an accessible, entertaining style, this is not only a comprehensive, scholarly history of coal, but also a serious assessment of the cost/benefits of its current use. Freeze has a deep, wide-ranging knowledge of her subject, seems to know everything there is to know about coal - from its early use by the Romans, both for fuel and ornament, through it indispensable modern role in the generation of electricity. And she presents the full story in a succinct, interesting manner, never losing the reader's interest in boring details, holding that interest by including a host of illustrative facts and anecdotes that keep the reader turning the pages. This is a real gift - especially for one writing economic and social history. And the history she writes is lucid and thorough. Seems to contain everything of importance but is particularly valuable in recounting the lesser known events: the story of the initial English use of coal as a fuel during the High Middle Ages, of the excessive pollution that burning it created in Elizabethan London, of the part it played during the Cultural Revolution of Maoist China when everyone was encouraged to produce steel in their backyards.

Because Freeze once served as an assistant Attorney General for Minnesota enforcing anti-pollution laws, a major emphasis of this work is on the deleterious effects of burning coal, particularly on air quality and on its contribution to acid rain and global warming. But even in discussing these topics, she is objective, scientific, fact-based. She recognizes the continuing need for coal as a fuel, recognizes the essential contribution it makes to our way of life - but seeks practical solutions to the real problems associated with its use. She is about as far from being an environmental activist as she is from being a coal industry propagandist. Her objectivity is astounding - her ability to be truthful to the facts, to reality.

(Personal note: I may be prejudiced. Freeze won my respect and trust by her masterful handling of the story of the Molly Macguires. I grew up in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania where hard coal and the Mollies were part of family folklore, were the source of endless arguments pro and con on whether the Mollies were terrorists or nascent union organizers or the innocent victims of a sinister plot to discredit labor. Living within biking distance of the jails were many of the Mollies were hanged, I have been intensely interested in their story since my youth, have read everything I could find about them, but have never found a fairer, more succinct, more judicious, a more consensual assessment of the Mollies than I found in the few pages that Freeze wrote on them. It made me a real fan of her.)

[Vel Veeter]

My life was neither created nor destroyed by coal. So much of this book talks about the balance between cost and benefit/harm, but it also spends a lot of time focusing on the industries that built up around coal: iron, transportation, heating/engines. I grew up not in coal country, but adjacent to it in Virginia, where I would see thousands of coal trains over time.

The history itself focuses on the development of coal as a fuel source, it’s other more ornamental uses in history, and eventually the history of mining and use of coal to create the industrial world. Some of the scenes of innovation and early coal development, especially where they didn’t know how to get it out the ground effectively or move effectively belong in novels because they’re such curious moments, but most of this history is centered around broader questions.

Throughout, Freese uses the metaphor of the genie in the bottle, where wishes can be granted but at costs. I thought this was apt.

This is not the most thorough history book I have ever read, but it reminds me so clearly of one of my favorites Changes in the Land by William Cronin, about the ecological changes in the early years of the new world. I thought this was a minor but effective book.

It’s funny then to hear people who clearly DO have their lives wholly intertwined in the coal industry look at this as some kind of biased screed. The only negative criticism except for how small this is makes it sound like she’s tearing down coal left and right. It’s funny because she’s definitely not. She’s simply stating: here’s what coal allowed for, here’s what cost. But it does illustrate the contentiousness of the issues surrounding coal.

[Johnsergeant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrator: Shelly Frasier
Publisher: Tantor Media, 2003
Length: 7 hours and 18 min.

Publisher's Summary
The fascinating, often surprising story of how a simple black rock altered the course of history. Prized as "the best stone in Britain" by Roman invaders who carved jewelry out of it, coal has transformed societies, powered navies, fueled economies, and expanded frontiers. It made China a twelfth-century superpower, inspired the writing of the Communist Manifesto, and helped the northern states win the American Civil War.

Yet the mundane mineral that built our global economy, and even today powers our electrical plants, has also caused death, disease, and environmental destruction. As early as 1306, King Edward I tried to ban coal (unsuccessfully) because its smoke became so obnoxious. Its recent identification as a primary cause of global warming has made it a cause celebre of a new kind.

In this remarkable book, Barbara Freese takes us on a rich historical journey that begins three hundred million years ago and spans the globe. From the "Great Stinking Fogs" of London to the rat-infested coal mines of Pennsylvania, from the impoverished slums of Manchester to the toxic city streets of Beijing, Coal is a captivating narrative about an ordinary substance that has done extraordinary things – a simple black rock that could well determine our fate as a species.

[T.B. Lutz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is worth reading, but in reality, it provides a very superficial overview of sometimes random aspects of the history of mankind's use of coal. I found the first half to be more interesting than the second, mainly because when discussing the history of coal prior to the mid 20th century, it is difficult to become too politically biased- the record simply is what it is. The latter half of the book displays the author's background as an environmentalist and global warming advocate, which certainly leads to a more subjective discussion of the past 50 years of so or coal use. I found the discussion of coal in China and her attempts to tie in an entirely separate discussion about globalization to be the most incoherent. The reality is this, 360 pages is hardly capable of mining (pun intended) much from the immense wealth of historical information around coal and it's impact on society. Had she stuck to a "human history", as her title suggests, and dealt primarily with anthropological discussions I would rate the book higher, rather she wavers from this and tries to stretch beyond the limits of her text, leaving you with more chronologically arranged random trivia than a truly thoughtful study of a single facet.

[Angela Forfia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll start by admitting that I am a sucker for these cultural histories of stuff--cod, coffee, cotton, tobacco, the potato, you name it. So, a human history of coal was appealing before I read a single page. Barbara Freese, an environmentalist and former assistant attorney general of Minnesota, provides a sweeping survey of the history of coal from the Romans carving black stones into jewelry to the open coal fires of early modern cities to American King Coal monopolies of the early 20th century...and down to the today's headlines about global warming and the pollution in Beijing. It is filled with hundreds of fascinating facts and anecdotes that drive you to the internet to learn more. How was child labor used in coal mines? What was urban versus rural life expectancy in 19th century England? How did the story of coal in China differ from its history in Europe? How did miners unionize? Can modern day coal plants sequester CO2? If you would like a wide ranging, thoughtful, and accessible history of coal that answers these questions--and more!--this is an engaging introduction to one of the world's key energy resources.

[Sean Betouliere · Rating 4 out of 5]

so damn good. full of compelling little historical details--the unimaginable filth and soot of industrial cities, where smoke blocked out the sky; the way that roads looked before pavement (gigantic muddy gullies, so deep that the top of a wagon would disappear within them); a royal attempt to ban coal back in 1306, which failed as the english demand for firewood outpaced the capacity of english forests; and also the crazy descriptions of what it was like to actually live and work in a mining town.

this book brings history to life in a way that i wish -all- history books could. beyond that, it's a sobering account of the long history of industrial pollution, and of the blessings and curses of industrialization.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amazing book. I want to thank JJ Lehmann, who handed me a beat-up copy, from a little used book store, I believe, earlier this year. What a gem. And, surprisingly for me, nonfiction!

The author manages to tell the story of how humans have used coal, and its effect on society, which is much larger than I suspected, in an easy engaging manner. She describes how coal enabled the industrial revolution, the rise and spread of the British empire, the industrialization of the north and the ensuing split of America into two main regions, and much more, including China. Yet the text is only 250 pages. Her style of telling the story was such that I felt kindly toward coal at the same time she described the terrible pollution that has resulted from its unrestrained use.

[Arlian · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. While this book had some interesting tidbits of information, mostly it was incredibly boring and highly biased by the author. Not only does she state her incredibly boring and simplistic opinions regularly and repeatedly, they also (as the case with all authors and 'historians') constrain, control and define the kinds of questions she asks to get the answers she then presents. Ultimately this book was kind of a waste of time, but since I was listening to it on audiobook while filing at work, it's whatever.

[Christina Dudley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been thinking about this book lately and considering rereading it, what with the consecutive days of terrible pollution in Beijing.

A fascinating, well-researched account of our troubled relationship with coal. After reading about the environmental consequences and the hardships visited on coal miners, I was sorry to learn WA state still relies on it for a significant portion of its energy. But it's so irresistibly cheap and there for the taking that it won't be going away anytime soon.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

First half of Coal was fantastic. It is written with a good sense of humor and is incredibly interesting. Second half of Coal slows down a bit as it reveals the true drive of the book: pollutants released from burning coal and the destruction they've caused.

Overall a great and educational read which wanders from hilarious to tragic.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Without coal where would we be? With coal where are we? Tough topic tackled by an Environmental Attorney. It is hard to hate and loathe something that has brought us so far into civilization, yet, a vast majority of us do and continue to as we read by our electric lamps fuled by coal. Quite the conundrum.

[Vandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

While containing some interesting sections this was quite a surface level read, the historic narrative overly focused on the British -> American story of industrialisation neglecting even the rest of Europe (one paragraph for Germany). Even then I would've loved something on the Appalachian Coal Wars or Welsh coal miners whose stories weren't really included.

The one chapter on China could definitely be expanded on more, in this respect I'm excited to have a copy of Mark Elvin's environmental history of China "The Retreat of the Elephants" which I'll hopefully read soon.

Another issue for me, which will be a positive for some, is the decent amount of the book devoted to explaining the modern climate science along with regulatory efforts by governments. Which does make sense as the author is not a historian and was an environmental attorney for Minnesota for about a decade. Moreover, as this book came out 20 years ago it's all decently outdated.

Realising this review may come across very negatively, so I've got to say that the writing was engaging and it was a fun read overall.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but surprisingly thorough. Freese does a great job explaining the development and use of coal in Britain, the United States, and China, and the science behind coal’s formation, energy storage, and role in climate change. The main downside of the book is that it’s about 20 years old, so the points about modern energy use and climate change are not up-to-date. Freese is good at illustrating her information and conclusions succinctly and engagingly.

[Alec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read. The part about natural gas in the last section doesn't hold up after so many years, considering how it has helped to phase out coal and how hydraulic fracturing presents so many environmental hazards that negate natural gas's "greener" footprint; but overall, the book delves into how humans have used coal for centuries and, in the case of China, even longer and how the substance has affected essentially every avenue of life: health, work, travel, etc. Though it's not big, Coal: A Human History is fairly comprehensive, and I was well-pleased.

[Ameya Warde · Rating 4 out of 5]

My grandmother's family was coal miners in TN/KY for generations, so I found this book especially interesting. There wasn't much history of coal mining in that region, but there was about coal mining in general and how it got started in the US more generally.

[Nathaniel Horadam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding story that chronicles the rise of coal in Britain, America and China, and doubles as a history of industrialization.

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elegantly written and carefully structured. The audio narrator is excellent, but the audio quality has a slight hiss to it that may bother you. It didn't bother me.

[Stephen Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Subtitled A Human History, this book surveys coal and its relationship with us and with our various cultures. Opening with a history of its finding and use in medieval Britain, it shows how for centuries coal was a misunderstood, disliked and even feared thing, until Newcomen made his steam engine and the Industrial Revolution came into view. Then, reluctantly, people began using it, though they continued to suffer from the sulphurous smoke. Further chapters look at the industry in America and China.

I liked this book a lot. It's insightful, well written, fair minded and ends with a warning about global warming. Though written in the early 2000s, its history and message still resonate, and will do for some time, as America and China continue to use this dirtiest and most polluting of fossil fuels. 

[Vladimir Boronenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good historical sketch, or overview, of coal and how it has come to play its role in our life. But why call it a 'human' history? For that, far too few humans in the book, especially in the last several chapters.

[Jurij Fedorov · Rating 3 out of 5]

1 • A Portable Climate 1
6/10

First 25 minutes of the audiobook are terrible. Just a bunch of nothing. Then it slowly moves into talking about where coal comes from in Britain and how it was initially used. It’s a bit too basic.

2 • The Best Stone in Britain 15
7,5/10

Coal was always polluting. It leaves a lot of sod everywhere and people hated it. Initially it was easy to get to as you could dig it up near waterways and transport it on water. Later you needed to dig further out and deeper. Romans were the first to use it widely in Britain. The church, who later owned the land, prospered from it until Henry 8 took their land as he put the church under his control and attacked Catholics. Before this the church owned ⅕ of the land and earned 3 times as much as the kingdom.

As people used wood for fuel it was a huge problem as wood was used for construction too. So you cannot sustain a growing population this way and people grew poorer.

It’s just a very short overview of, “England and coal”. It’s hard for me to remember such shallow descriptions of overall coal use. But after I relistened to it and listened for small details it became way, way better. It’s a chapter you need to fully focus on to enjoy.

3 • Launching a Revolution 43
7,5/10

About primitive work in mines and how dangerous it is. And points about pollution.

As light was created by fire working in mines was extra dangerous as it would ignite the gasses. They used canaries to spot gasses as often people died from poisoning and lack of oxygen.

4 • Full Steam Ahead 71
7/10

Manchester as an industrial city as an example of the Industrial Revolution and how it made Britain extremely powerful yet made life weird and boring in some ways as industry is not always creative or clean.

Many kids suffer from rickets as sunlight is sparse in some areas. The many coal ships now make Britain a greater sea nation as the government can at times of war use such ships. Transportation on land was very slow and even dangerous as the roads were muddy and sank deep into the ground. People wanted to build canals to solve this issue. Later rails could be used too.

Coal was also used to empty the mines of water which was very hard to do before. With the steam engine this could be done in a way that made future coal digging possible as you would run out of easy coal pretty fast. Railways to transport coal could also be powered by coal itself. People largely heated their own houses so they needed to have a fireplace going. Whole cities would at times be covered in smog. London was often covered in colorful smoke.

5 • A Precious Seed 103
6,5/10

In USA they also build canals and railroads to transport coal. Initially trains ran on wood not coal. Many Americans didn’t use coal as it was seen as unhealthy for you. But they soon started using it.

USA has a lot of union conflicts where mine owners fought with unions. Some mine owners create monopolies in some areas.

6 • The Rise and Fall of King Coal 129
6,5/10

USA into 20th century. Coal merchants claimed coal was not unhealthy.

7 • Invisible Power 163
6/10

Modern coal use. Largely about pollution from coal and other pollutants. It’s about our current environment and global warming. Fine enough intro chapter to this topic, but it’s not something I wanted to explore in such an otherwise curious history book.

8 • A Sort of Black Stone 199
6/10

China. Some personal travel experiences and interviews too.

9 • A Burning Legacy 233
6/10

Predicting the future of coal use in relation to climate change. Honestly this climate change stuff is old news. I already agree with it all and know about this stuff. It feels like she is telling me stuff I already know.

10 • Tipping Points: Epilogue to the New Edition 249
3/10

This is an extra chapter I had to read in the new version of the book as my audiobook didn’t have it.

This is what it is about:

“The staggering sums the Koch brothers continue to raise and spend to shape U.S. politics have helped keep carbon reduction entirely off the Republican Party’s agenda ever since, except as something candidates must vehemently oppose to prove their conservative bona fides. As the Tea Party took control of the Republican Party, it paralyzed Congress as well as many states, preventing ...”

As a European who already believes in climate change this preachy stuff feels totally pointless and boring.

My final opinion on the book

I saw the bad reviews and was asking myself if I should read it. As it was on audiobook and seemingly not too long I decided to take a chance. The first 25 minutes were terrible. The author loves to ramble about nothing and when the topic is unfocused she rambles on forever about nothing. Then it picked up as it went into history and I started wondering why the reviews were this bad. The history sections were decent coal history. But the book soon moved away from the history of the destructive forces of coal and into propaganda/overly preaching activism.


First, there is no proper intro to the book. We jump from coal as a resource to coal as a harmful thing in UK historically then we move into the Industrial Revolution. Then we move to USA and yet again move into the Industrial Revolution. As we then jump to China I’m really confused. The book didn’t tell me what it was about. It just changes topics randomly. Many of the topics are big misses or just too confusing. Anything modern was boring. The writing style is already dry and fact minded so when we move away from the history the book becomes a pointless preachy mess.

The topic is always “coal is polluting and bad”. The history chapters are about pollution and destruction, but it’s fun to read about historical deaths and disasters. While 30 pages about how Obama Republicans are stupid and evil feels totally pointless as I know about this stuff already.

I agree that climate change is an issue. But a book preaching this point is supposed to be fun and educate me. It only does that in the history chapters. It doesn’t matter how much you agree with the message when you fall asleep reading it.

So yeah, it’s a dud overall. If you remove the first 25 minutes and everything after chapter 6 this would be a very strong ⅘ or a bit weak 5/5 rating. But in the current state it’s just not possible to recommend. Even if you are a huge green energy activist there is no reason to pick a book about Republicans during the Obama era when you can get this info in a more engaging way via documentaries that even explain what happened post Obama too. There is A TON of activism content about this stuff already. You don’t need to settle on a dry source like this one.

It’s a damn shame. She is a good historical writer. Still boring and dry, but it’s very direct and simple writing where you can understand it all if you put all your focus into the boring writing. The dry style just becomes unbearable when the topic is boring too. Why should I read this over any other book?

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coal: A Human History by Barbara Freese is an riveting microhistory of the filthy fuel source that launched the Industrial Revolution and continues to supply energy for humanity in some nations (especially China, India, & USA).

Barbara Freese, the author, was an assistant attorney general for the State of Minnesota in charge of ensuring that the State of Minnesota's air pollution laws were enforced.

I became interested in reading this book, Coal: A Human History, when I saw a TED talk by Alok Sharma, the British MP who is serving as President of #COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference that will happen in Glasgow, Scotland.

Alok Sharma said it was his goal to come out of #COP26 with all nations agreeing to give up coal and leave it in the ground. After reading this book, I understand what a reasonable request this is and how it makes complete common sense.

There's fascinating labor history in here about child workers digging tunnels in British coal mines, America's horror at moving from an agrarian society to an industrial one with factories (including the story of why the Reading Railroad plays such a prominent role on your Monopoly board).

Because of all of the engineering and entreprenurial inventions described, this book makes me want to go visit every science and technology museum in Britain to see the Industrial Revolution innovations described within.

So why should coal be left in the ground? First of all, it is no longer cost competitive. All renewable sources of energy are now cheaper. Yes, ALL OF THEM.

Second of all, coal contributes #CO2 to the atmosphere at twice the rate as natural gas for the amount of energy obtained, & 1/3 more than the rate of liquid gas for the energy obtained, making it an easy decision to end coal when reforming systems to tackle the climate emergency.

It's estimated that people living on the East Coast of the United States could extend the visibility of their sight to 45-90 miles rather than the current 14 miles, on average, that people can only see due to coal haze. The haze that hangs over the Grand Canyon, for example, is caused by a coal plant 75 miles away.

Coal use adds mercury to the ecological landscape and it is impossible to clean it up once produced. The mercury keeps evaporating and raining down on populations in an endless feedback loop.

The sulfur dioxide produced by coal use adds particulate matter to the air. This creates acid rain. American coal use rains down on Canadian lakes, killing their lake fish and acidifying their lakes. How much area is impacted? An area of Canada the size of France and Great Britain combined! It will take a minimum of 25 years for Canadian lakes to recover from this pollution should it ever stop.

The particulate matter is so dangerous it is currently killing an estimated 8.7 million people a year around the world. That's way more than COVID, for example.

10-40% of all summer admissions into the hospital for lung-related causes are related to these particulates. At a minimum, they can give you an asthma attack. At the worst, they can kill you. 81 million Americans live in areas that are not currently meeting the EPA health standards. This can impact lung, but also brain development. It's estimated that 60,000 American babies are impacted yearly in utero and become developmentally disabled due to these particulates.

One of the most shocking ways coal is mined in the USA is through mountain top removal. In this method, areas of four different USA states are deemed sacrifice zones. The health and wellness of the people, animals, air, land, and water are sacrificed to produce coal for export. The tops of 500 mountains have been blown off to easily access the coal. Imagine living in a beautiful mountainous area and someone doing that to your vista! Then the leftover toxic overburden (unused rock) is dumped in a valley. Over 2,000 miles of streams have been destroyed by this practice.

We have already increased the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere by 1/3. It's estimated we may end up with triple, or even quadruple current levels of carbon dioxide if we stay on our current course.

There are only 20,000 active coal miners left in the United States. When you pay them off to give them an exit to coal mining, it's called a #JustTransition (why they get this special treatment I have zero idea). Literally, that's so few people, it's like 1/5 all of the people who work in museums in the US. But Barbara Freese makes the point we would save more people's lives each year by ending coal use, than would be impacted through coal mining job loss. You just wouldn't be able to tell who was saved.

I just want to congratulate the British people who are in a place to lead on this issue because of all the work their leaders have done, over generations, to eliminate coal from their energy mix. You'd think because of how rich it made them that Brits would be emotionally attached to coal. Not so, starting with conservative Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, their leaders have worked to eliminate coal. Mrs. Thatcher got sick of subsidizing coal mining and stopped doing so. It's astonishing the United States continues to subsidize coal mining given all of the pollution and warming it causes. The Brits only get 2% of their electricity from coal now. Hail Britannia! Please lead! The European Union is close behind them.

The USA and Australian governments are still captured by coal interests and subsidizing them.
I'll put a couple additional links that highlight again how important taking this first step toward the elimination of all fossil fuels is.

Alok Sharma's TED Talk foreshadowing #COP26:
https://www.ted.com/talks/alok_sharma...

The dangers of mountain top removal (a practice so revolting when you first learn about it you have to wonder how it ever got started) https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_hen...

I found this Australian comparison between European leadership and American lack of leadership to be a masterpiece of visual storytelling (remember, both the Australian and US governments are captured by coal lobbies). Who's innovating? Who's looking after their coal workers? Who's politicians are not mindlessly parroting tired coal propaganda and instead are actually science-based? Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMPU8...

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author spent about 80% of the book on various aspects of the history of coal - it's early uses and impacts over time on our ability to heat our homes and the transformative impact it had on technology. I really enjoyed these parts of the book. She showed how critical coal was the industrial revolution and was very frank about the negatives that came along with that use and progress. She told the coal story not just of the U.S., but also England and China. It was interesting and I learned a lot.

The other 20% of the book was on the modern environmental impact of coal. Parts of this were also interesting, especially as she showed the real damage acid rain and particulate pollution has had. The book was published in 2004, so some of the trends she discusses on coal use are already outdated - as coal has already seen significant declines since she wrote. Where I felt she over-extended her argument was in the area of CO2 emissions and global warming. Her speculative arguments about the future were much less convincing then the current fact-based arguments about the other pollution affects of coal. In fact, I think if coal-opponents were to keep the focus on the "real" pollution and not cloud the argument with CO2, I believe the public opposition to coal would be greater than currently enjoyed with the sole focus on global warming threats.