The Science and Technology of Coal and Coal Utilization : Springer : 9781468445824 : 1468445820 : 20 Apr 2013 : Filling the need for new and improved energy sources is an area where societal effects of science and technology will surely increase. The editors and authors have attempted in this volume to present the most current work on the science and technology of coal and coal utilization. Serious disagreement exists on several key issues such as carbon dioxide release and acid rain. At the same time, however, coal is the world's most abundant fossil fuel and will have to be used to supply the world's energy needs for the next several decades. The 1979 National Research Council Report, "En­ ergy in Transition: 1985-2010," has estimated that the United States alone may go from a 1979 coal consumption of 14 QUADS per annum (approximately 750 million tons per year) to approximately 40-50 QUADS per annum (approximately 2 billion tons per year) by the year 2010. If this scale of coal utili