by kevin, on April 5th, 2009
Energy in World History, by Vaclav Smil, reads like a thorough college text book, and that’s probably how it gets used. It’s definitely not a casual read. It’s incredibly comprehensive, clearly written, and a little overwhelming, documenting all forms of energy throughout the history of civilization. My principle interests were sections dedicated to current energy flows – coal, oil, nuclear, gas, etc. – but that’s only a small portion of this work. In a way, this book covers much of the same material as The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight, which I reviewed several weeks ago. Yet it manages to do so in a way that doesn’t suggest judgement or personal evaluation. The information is reported in a purely factual manner. There is little, if any, subjective interpretation. Even though it’s clear from the data presented that we’re in a perilous place with regard to energy supply, there is no sense of urgency in the presentation.
Each chapter is followed with supporting data that may be the real gem. You can almost read just the appendices and understand the basic message. Charts, reproductions of prints showing past energy equipment, definitions, and much more are dense enough to make a book on their own. Also of interest is how in each chapter Mr. Smil is able to not only introduce the basic concept of a certain type of energy but also thoroughly describe the historical context in which it took place, the prime movers that took advantage of that energy, and the technological advancements that pushed production.
Mr. Smil leaves the heavy hitting to the end where he outlines a clear relationship between fossil fueled energy production and standard of living, transportation, information and communication, economics, urbanization, politics, warfare, and environmental changes. To make this point, the author states “no country whose annual primary commercial energy consumption averages less than the equivalent of 100 kilograms of oil per capita can guarantee even basic necessities to all of its inhabitants.” In other words, there is a direct connection between the amount of energy a country consumes and its standard of living. If a country drops below a certain level of consumption, they cannot provide for its people. The author makes a good case that a greater dependence on fossil fuels by a population inevitably leads to greater efficiency, greater consumption, greater value, and greater advancement. All lead to longer life spans, greater population, and a rise in standard of living. So does this mean that we have to continue consuming energy at the rates we currently do just to maintain our lifestyle and standards? If so, that’s a bleak thought. Most studies of falling empires center on explanations such as social dysfunction, internal conflict, invasions, epidemics, or declining agriculture due to climate change. But few ever look at a weakened energy base as another potential cause. Even Jared Diamond‘s great recent work Collapse doesn’t cover energy supply or distribution as one of his five criteria for civilization collapse. Can we learn something useful from past extinguished empires about our present situation? There’s really no debate that fossil fuel supplies are limited. It is highly likely that we will see the end of coal, oil, and gas in this century. Without a suitable substitute, will we see a collapse with a magnitude of those in the past? Charging forward with a business as usual mindset is one sure way to bring about that very thing. At the very least, we need to acknowledge the importance of energy and its role in world history, its relationship to every living person, and its impact on the planet as a way to avoid a calamitous future.