Essay on Coal A Human History by Barbara Freese - 1709 Words

Coal: A Human History was written by Barbara Freese to focus on the history of coal and how mankind has used it as part of their lifestyle. Ever since the times when early nomads used the slash-and-burn method, coal has been around acting as jewelry for the Romans and as fuel for peasants and the noble class in Britain. Coal was in such high demand that many inventions were utilized for the convenience of retrieving it from intolerable conditions such as vacuums and the construction of more efficient underground tunnels. The book gives insight of how this small stone has been so vital to humans that they were able to adapt to the ways coal best functions. Freese wrote this non-fiction book to inform how coal has affected humans socially,†¦show more content†¦The use of expensive jewelry soon lost its value due to mass quantities of coal was discovered. The use of it as diamonds gave some wealth at first for the Romans the jewels were no longer made after 150 years. The term â€Å"jet-black† comes from the jewels which were named jet. While the many uses of coal led to various attempts for improvement, there was only one true use for coal that proved to be worthy and beneficial. The use of coal which is most common today started in the 700’s CE and it is the use of coal as an energy source. Though not officially used as a heat source until the 1100’s CE, many methods of burning it for protective smoke were used. While the use of coal for heat was cheaper than wood, the side effects of it shortly began to show. As the mass used of coal came to be, the price of it rose sharply as up to  ½ of lower class family wages were used only for the minimal amount of coal needed to survive harsh cold months. London also grew dependent on coal and many signs were showing just why this statement was true. The coal smoke smudged the city and thick black clouds could be seen from miles away surrounding London. These plus other negative effects of coal explains how the misuse of coal led to more negative occurrences than positive and beneficial use it gave. The immediate danger of coal was not the pollutants it let out but the process of which coal was mined. After the topShow MoreRelatedCoal: a Human History1727 Words   |  7 PagesCoal: A Human History was written by Barbara Freese to focus on the history of coal and how mankind has used it as part of their lifestyle. Ever since the times when early nomads used the slash-and-burn method, coal has been around acting as jewelry for the Romans and as fuel for peasants and the noble class in Britain. Coal was in such high demand that many inventions were utilized for the convenience of retrieving it from intolerable conditions such as vacuums and the construction of more efficientRead MoreClimate And The Global Climate Justice Movement3592 Words   |  15 Pagesthe United States Climate change has been called â€Å"the biggest problem of the 21st century† by many scientists and government officials alike. Many classes at the university level cover some aspect of this complex and multifaceted problem. From the human rights that are at risk due to rising sea levels and food shortages to the environmental, geographical, and intergenerational inequities resulting from increasing greenhouse gas emissions; climate change is a serious and complex issue with little agreement