Few of us realize that every time we flip on a switch, we burn a lump of coal--our shiny white iPod economy is propped up by dirty black rocks. Despite a legacy that has claimed millions of lives and ravaged the environment, coal has become hot again. Our desire to find a homegrown alternative to Mideast oil, the rising cost of oil and natural gas, and the mood in Washington will soon push our coal consumption through the roof. Because we have failed to develop alternative energy sources, coal has becomethe default fuel for the 21st century. Veteran journalist Goodell examines the faulty assumptions underlying coal's revival and shatters the myth of cheap coal energy. In a blend of investigative reporting, history, and business analysis, he illuminates the troubling economic imperatives America faces and the collusion of business and politics that has set us on this dangerous course.--From publisher description.

Introduction xi I THE DIG 1. The Saudi Arabia of Coal 3 2. Coal Colonies 21 3. Dogholes 48 4. The Carbon Express 74 II THE BURN 5. Infinite Needs 97 6. The Big Dirty 119 7. “A Citizen Wherever We Serve” 147 III THE HEAT 8. Reversal of Fortune 173 9. The Coal Rush 202 10. The Frontier 226 Epilogue: An Empire of Denial 249 Acknowledgments 259 Notes 263 Index 297