Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:11:19 +0000

The Conversation:
What earlier energy transitions tell us about renewables

The Rise of Steam Power and the Roots of Global Warming, written by Andreas Malm

In 1850s New England, steam was three times more expensive than water flows powering textile mills.

Why did steam win? Human ecologist Andreas Malm: capital. Locating steam engines in urban centres made it easier to concentrate and control workers, as well as overcoming worker walk-outs and machine breaking.