Summary
Coal and oil are two of the world’s most important sources of primary energy. A multitrillion-dollar infrastructure has been created to locate, produce, transport, process, and burn coal and oil. This infrastructure has made modern life possible. In some of the world’s largest economies, coal-fired power plants generate at least half of all electricity, and in almost all nations, transportation is synonymous with oil consumption.
Coal and Oil describes the history of these sources of energy. The technology of coal and oil—that is, the mining of coal and the drilling for oil as well as the processing of coal and the refining of oil—is discussed in detail, as are the methods by which these primary energy sources are converted into usable working energy. Special attention is given to the environmental effects, both local and global, associated with their use and the relationships that have developed between governments and these most important industries. This comprehensive new resource also focuses on global dependence on these resources.
Specifications
Full-color photographs and line illustrations. Index. Chronology. Web sources. Sidebars. Further resources. Tables and charts.
About the Author(s)
John Tabak, Ph.D., performed graduate work at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and received a degree in mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is the author of A Look at Earth and A Look at Neptune, two astronomy titles for middle school readers; the coauthor of two titles in Facts On File’s Science and Technology in Focus set; and the author of the acclaimed The History of Mathematics set and Significant Gestures: A History of American Sign Language, a social and scientific history of one of North America’s most unique languages.