Richard Heinberg is a key to the Peak Oil movement, especially with his books "The Party's Over" and "Powerdown". He's expanded to catalog our over-use of many resources, with his book "Peak Everything". Now he's investigated the myth that coal could keep us going for hundreds of years. Not so, not at all.

Heinberg is also very aware of energy damage to the atmosphere and climate. We discuss whether "peak coal" will arrive in time to save the climate. And the fragility of storing all our knowledge on machines that need electricity (which may become unreliable).

This interview by Alex Smith comes from the weekly 1 hour radio program "Radio Ecoshock". That is broadcast to 16 college and community stations in North America, plus Green 960 AM in San Francisco. Radio Ecoshock is available by broadcast, podcast, satellite and download, from www.ecoshock.org Any non-profit station can rebroadcast (free) any part, or all of, Radio Ecoshock. No copyright claimed, make copies or link to programs. Radio stations: please email Alex (radio [at] ecoshock.org) to let him know. Thanks.