The Modern World Can't Exist Without These Four Ingredients. They All Require Fossil Fuels

Four materials rank highest on the scale of necessity, forming what I have called the four pillars of modern civilization: cement, steel, plastics, and ammonia are needed in larger quantities than are other essential inputs. The world now produces annually about 4.5 billion tons of cement, 1.8 billion tons of steel, nearly 400 million tons of plastics, and 180 million tons of ammonia. But it is ammonia that deserves the top position as our most important material: its synthesis is the basis of all nitrogen fertilizers, and without their applications it would be impossible to feed, at current levels, nearly half of today’s nearly 8 billion people. ...

https://time.com/6175734/reliance-on-fossil-fuels/

Payall / broken JS: https://archive.ph/7FFlL

HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31395036

#VaclavSmil #Postcarbon #FossilFuels #Materials #GlobalWarming #ClimateChange #Limits #LimitsToGrowth #resources #Books

The Modern World Can't Exist Without These Four Ingredients. They All Require Fossil Fuels

Four key materials are necessary for modern life. They all require fossil fuels. What that means for the green transition is problematic.

History through the lens of energy: a bibliography

Some years back I was asked if there were any books addressing history through the perspective of energy. And so I discovered Vaclav Smil's excellent Energy in World History, delivering just that, updated two years ago under a new title. The catalogue's expanded, and following a discussion with @Emmanuel Florac (here), I'm expanding my list.

Emmanuel adds Auzenneau. I've read Weissenbacher and known of Rodes, and have both Smil's books. The others are new to me.

Searching Worldcat for books on history and energy:

• Matthieu Auzanneau, Oil, Power, and War: a dark history. Chelsea Green Publishing Co., (2020). https://www.worldcat.org/title/oil-power-and-war-a-dark-history/oclc/1124590359
• Vaclav Smil, Energy in World History. Routledge (1994) https://www.worldcat.org/title/energy-in-world-history/oclc/1124490716
• Vaclav Smil, Energy and civilization : a history. Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, (2018) https://www.worldcat.org/title/energy-and-civilization-a-history/oclc/1134666593
• Manfred Weissenbacher, Sources of power : how energy forges human history (2 vols). Praeger, (2009). https://www.worldcat.org/title/sources-of-power-how-energy-forges-human-history/oclc/1131512551
• Richard Rhodes, Energy : a human history. Simon & Schuster (2019) https://www.worldcat.org/title/energy-a-human-history/oclc/1134660012
• Economic history of energy and environment. Springer (2016). https://www.worldcat.org/title/economic-history-of-energy-and-environment/oclc/980482798
• Anthony N Penna, A history of energy flows : from human labor to renewable power. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, (2020). https://www.worldcat.org/title/history-of-energy-flows-from-human-labor-to-renewable-power/oclc/1119745736
• Cutler J Cleveland, Concise encyclopedia of history of energy. Elsevier, (2009) https://www.worldcat.org/title/concise-encyclopedia-of-history-of-energy/oclc/520656249
• Joseph A Pratt, Energy Capitals : Local Impact, Global Influence. University of Pittsburgh Press, (2014). https://www.worldcat.org/title/energy-capitals-local-impact-global-influence/oclc/878918855

#energy #history #EnergyInHistory #VaclavSmil #MatthieuAuzanneau #RichardRhodes #books #bibliography