Analysis Of The Environmental Non Sustainability Of The...

Topic: An Analysis of the Environmental Non-Sustainability of the American Coal Industry Title of Book: Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America s Energy Future Author: James Goodell Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2006. James Goodell is a long-time contributing columnist for Rolling Stone Magazine and the New York Times Magazine. Goodell’s main contributions are writing about environmental issues, such as industrial pollution, and the problem of long-term environmental sustainability. Goodell does meticulous research through interviews with coal miners, coal industry executives, and other participants in the chain-linked process of coal production and usage. In Big Coal, the overarching problem of CO2 emissions from†¦show more content†¦Part 2:Outline of the Book (150)Section 1: The Dig †¢ In Chapter 1: The Saudi Arabia of Coal, Goodell (2006) defines the coal mining industry as a foundation for the â€Å"life cycle† of coal mining and production in Gillette, Wyoming, the â€Å"Saudi Arabia† of coal production in the United States, 40% of American coal is produced in Wyoming’s Powder River basin (p.4). †¢ In Chapter 2: Coal Colonies, Goodell (2006) describes the poverty, corporate exploitation, and other difficulties of mining life under the Massey Energy Corporation in West Virginia. These coal mining â€Å"colonies† show the power of corporate dominance over miners, the local ecology, and coal production. †¢ In Chapter 3: Dogholes and Chapter 4: The Carbon Express, Goodall (2007) defines the â€Å"dirty† methods of coal mining and the environmental danger that coal mining brings to the ecology. More so, Goodell exposes the glamorous depiction of coal mining by corporate executives and politicians. Section 2: The Burn †¢ In Chapter 4: Infinite Needs, Goodell (2006) defines the historical rise of Thomas Edison’s coal powered electricity, which defined the demand for American coal mining, production, and usage: â€Å"Edison created a nation of electric junkies† (p.109). †¢ In Chapter 5: The Big Dirty, Goodell (2006) defines the rise of pollution as a historical development throughout the late 19th century and into the 20th century. CO2 had