Slow Burn: Why We Can't Quit Coal

How do you break addiction? The first step is admitting you have a problem. The world’s coal addiction costs 2.5 million lives each year from disease, adds billions of dollars to energy bills, and is the single largest contributor to climate change. From the pit worker at the coal face, to the person ordering cheap Chinese products on Amazon, we are all complicit in this health and environmental disaster. Many believe coal is a relic of a bygone era, yet in 2025 the world burned more than ever before. The question is, can we stop?

In “Slow Burn: why we can’t quit coal”, I take readers on an exhilarating journey to the frontlines of the energy industry, as you’ve never seen it before. What started as a curiosity to explain how coal makes energy cheap and reliable morphed into a political education on what the industry really offers: jobs, taxes, foreign exchange, geopolitical security, political donations, and community. The benefits of coal are ultimately a nationalist story, made all the more important in a world on the brink of conflict.

This book explains the reality of the energy transition: it cannot be achieved with cheap technology alone. Understanding why we depend on coal is essential for breaking the cycle, and avoiding a long and painful rehab. In my book, I articulate how we can power our modern lives without costing us the earth.

Please get in touch with my agent, Adrian, if you are interested in learning more: adrian@krugercowne.com