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The Carboniferous (Latin for \\u2018coal-bearing\\u2019) is a period of the Paleozoic named after the massive accumulations of coal that were formed globally during this time. These coal deposits were the fuel for the Industrial Revolution and continue to be an important economic resource to this day.

For this interview, we asked Standford University\\u2019s Prof. Kevin Boyce to introduce us to coal production and to tell us how it\\u2019s formed and what it\\u2019s made of. We then concentrate on determining why the Carboniferous was the period with the largest coal deposits when we know that forests existed in other periods too. Finally, we look at the impact that coal production and subsequent exploitation have had on the planet.