Coal-Bridge to the Future
Putting figures to the proposition that there is a great deal of coal in the world (and above all the U.S.) that can be produced at reasonable prices if big enough investments are made, this study concludes, with "cautious optimism," that if the right steps are taken (often well before the coal is needed) a tripling of coal consumption can be the bridge to a future when new sources of energy take over. The conviction of the people from 16 countries who collaborated in this work that this can be done without unacceptable damage to the environment depends on assumptions about differences in national standards and unpredictable tradeoffs.
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