American RadioWorks "Power and Smoke: A Nation Built on Coal"

American RadioWorks looks at America's dependency on coal.

Why do Americans contribute more heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere than Europeans with similar standards of living? One reason is our dependence on cars, but another, less-talked-about reason is coal. Americans rely on coal for nearly half our electricity. Electrical generation pumps out more greenhouse gases than the entire transportation sector — cars, trucks, planes, and ships -- combined. Can we burn coal more cleanly? Can we get off of it? To explore these questions, American RadioWorks documentary goes back to the roots of our addiction to coal, and shows how our fuel choices changed American culture and history. Power and Smoke: A Nation Built on Coal airs Sunday, March 20 at 10 p.m. on AM 1370/FM-HD 91.5-2. Using lively archival audio and contemporary interviews, the program provides fascinating insight into the past and the future of a country built on coal.

American RadioWorks, American Public Media's award-winning documentary programs, creates documentaries, series projects and investigative reports for public radio. Its hour-long specials provide in-depth reporting on public affairs and social and cultural subjects.