Coal

Coal: phase down or phase out brings together salient facts and figures about coal in India and the world to give the reader an overview of the trends in reserves, production, prices, and utilization of coal. More than that, the book highlights the major problems – particularly those related to the environment – that confront the coal sector and not only traces the evolution of relevant policies in India from the nationalization of the sector and the re-entry of the private sector but also explains the forces that shaped those policies. The book attempts to meet the objectives of the ’Concerned Citizen’ series by putting across these different facets of the coal industry simply, clearly, and concisely. Where necessary, some technical terms and concepts are explained so that a lay person can understand them easily. Contents: What is coal? How to measure coal quality and quantity? Uses of coal: electricity generation, cooking, etc. Environmental issues in mining coal: impact on forests, air and water Safety issues in coal mining Environmental issues related to the use of coal Mitigating the environmental impact of coal Social impacts of coal mining Using coal at pit head or at load centres: