Burning Up: A Global History of Fossil Fuel Consumption by Simon Pirani (PDF)

Description

Coal, gas, and oil have powered our societies for hundreds of years. But the pace at which we use them changed dramatically in the twentieth century: of all the fossil fuels ever consumed, more than half were burnt up in the past fifty years alone, the vast majority of that within a single generation. Most worrying of all, this dramatic acceleration has occurred against the backdrop of an increasingly unanimous scientific consensus: that their environmental impact is devastating and potentially irreversible. In Burning Up, Simon Pirani recounts the history of the relentless rise of fossil fuels in the past half century, and lays out the ways in which the expansion of the global capitalist economy has driven it forward. Dispelling common explanations that foreground Western consumerism, as well as arguments about unsustainable population growth, Pirani offers instead an insightful intervention in what is arguably the crisis of our time.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “Recommended.” ― CHOICE“Insightful, precise, and well-written, Burning Up turns energy consumption on its head. From China and Nigeria to the Soviet Union and the US, Pirani fills a crucial gap left by a mountain of shiny but vacuous reports and not enough solid history… Anybody fighting climate change should read this.” — Mika Minio-Paluello, co-author of The Oil Road: journeys from the Caspian About the Author Simon Pirani is a journalist and senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. His previous books include Change in Putin’s Russia, also published by Pluto Press.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐I am incredibly impressed by the research and scholarship Simon Pirani put into this book. He meticulously demonstrates that to reduce greenhouse gas emissions requires a radical transformation of not only the technological systems of energy production, but also the social and economic systems in which they are embedded. It’s a great example of the kind of empirical work that is badly needed, in my own opinion, on society’s addiction to fossil fuels and the failed attempts to slow down global warming. The history of the technological and social systems behind all this is explained in a connected and concise way. The narrative is backed up by tables and charts, but don’t let that put you off reading it: you can look at the tables at a later time. An indispensable primer for anyone concerned about the future of the planet.

⭐A very detailed and well researched piece of work describing the growth and then explosion of the fossil fuel industry to the detriment of our Earth and all who live on it. The book is a bit dry as it involves a great deal of statistics, data, charts, etc., but that is a result of the thoroughness of the work. 5 stars.

⭐This book offers a clear review of the history of fossil fuels. It provides a huge amount of information that is easily digested. It is a great read and I recommend it to anyone interested in the energy field and the future of the planet.

⭐This is a necessary intervention on the recent history of fossil fuel consumption. Simon Pirani wrote a timely book showing why the world saw a great acceleration of fossil fuel use in the post-war period. Giving examples from different parts of the world, Pirani identifies in great detail the respective drivers that contribute to unsustainable levels of fossil fuel combustion today. Highly recommended!

⭐Everyone concerned about climate change should read Burning Up. All decision makers, whether politician, bureaucrat, journalist, investor or consumer, will profit by reading this detailed history of the global use of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). Simon Pirani has written a history of global consumption of fossil fuels since 1800 with particular emphasis on the inexorable rise of consumption since 1950. Energy generation is almost totally dependent on fossil fuels. A growing proportion of fossil fuels are used to generate electricity.Simon Pirani proves that regulation has been inadequate and that opportunities to develop sustainable consumption have been wasted. He says that there has been some slight improvement in recent years, but that it has been a “tiptoe approach”. Well-written, Burning Up includes very useful tables and graphs and comprehensive notes on sources.

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