Noted Writer to Deliver Coal-Related Keynote at Chamber Meeting

National correspondent for The Atlantic James Fallows is in Louisville this week. As WFPL’s Erica Peterson reports, Fallows is a keynote speaker at the Kentucky Chamber’s annual meeting.Fallows will deliver a speech based on his recent article “Dirty Coal, Clean Future.” The story, which was published in December, examines the future of coal in the United States. Fallows argues that coal will be necessary as a fuel for years, but the country needs to work more diligently to research ways it can be mined and used more cleanly. He cites China as an example—that country is experimenting with underground coal gasification. In this process, air and chemicals are injected into coal seams, effectively vaporizing the fuel, which can then be harvested as a gas.Fallow’s address is tomorrow. Legendary journalist Bob Woodward is also a keynote speaker.