A Modern Energy Regime
This chapter examines the emergence of a modern energy regime in Europe. It begins with a discussion of the increase in energy consumption and how a combination of coal, engine, and iron coalesced to form the “development block” that characterized and drove the first industrial revolution. It then considers the role of coal in the new geography of energy supply, divergence in energy regimes, and urbanization and pollution. It also describes the rise and relative decline of traditional energy sources such as calories from the soil, food demand, working animals, firewood, water power, and wind power. The chapter shows that the amount of renewable energy available to each inhabitant in Europe was falling in the case of every single carrier except food, as population growth outstripped supply.