This is probably the most hopeful book on global warming I've yet to read. It details actions of a disparate anti-coal grassroots movement, from 2007 to about mid-2009. During that time they were able to block almost all new proposed coal power plants from being built, about 150, through demonstrations, protests, legal action and on-line coordination.

Coal is the single biggest source of global warming, if we continued burning oil at current rates but got rid of coal, it would basically solve 80% of the problem and prevent the worse of the effects of global warming. In other words, we could keep burning oil and not worry about it (for now) if we got rid of coal. Compared to oil, coal is fairly easy to stop burning, in the US there are only about 600 coal burning electric plants, a much easier target than millions of cars. Coal is often seen as the cheapest/easiest source of electricity, but that is only true if the side effects are ignored - mountaintop removal, particulate matter causing early deaths from respiratory disease, mercury and other heavy metal poisoning, acid rain destroying forests, among other things. Compared to wind power, coal is much more costly and damaging. As well, coal supplies are not infinite and how long they will be cheaply available is an unknown. All these factors and more have basically stopped new coal power plants from being built since 2007.

The book ends with a 40 page appendix listing chronologically all the protest actions taken against coal, the people involved should be recognized for heroism. Going up against existing industries to force change is a messy, dangerous and thankless job. It is like the civil rights movement or labor movement in the early 20th century. It left me with a huge sense of pride and relief to be living through and seeing real change in my lifetime that future generations will look back on with gratitude.

--Review by Stephen Balbach, via CoolReading (c) 2011 cc-by-nd ( )