Coal – A human history

Title :-Coal – A human history

By :- Barbara Freese

Published :- Arrow Books, United Kingdom  (2003) Paperback (310 pages)

Outline;- An excellent historical look at how coal underpinned the industrial revolution, particularly as England had coal mines and developed waterways to provide cheap bulk freight to allow the industry to grow. An important part of this revolution was the development & mechanization of underground mines, to continue to produce the coal. This industrial development was mirrored in the USA, complete with the development of water haulage systems etc.

One past American lobby group of the 1980’s & 90’s“argued that God gave coal to humanity to use in carrying out the biblical command to fill the Earth and subdue it”. In Indonesia we see the constitution as portraying a similar outlook, that God placed the minerals & coal in the ground for the benefit of the Indonesian people. The book continues to highlight a number of environmental concerns about the way in which coal is used, particularly in village settings.

A nice read.