By the late 20th Century, the Western notions of modernity and “Progress” had long been bolstered by revolutionary methods for producing energy. In the 19th Century, coal-fired power plants sparked the burgeoning Industrial Revolution sweeping across Europe, North America, and eventually the rest of the world. In the 20th Century, petroleum products ushered in a whole new era of transportation, plastic products, and infrastructure that made life more leisurely and manageable.
In many ways, fossil fuels, coupled with the greatest advances in science and innovation, were the lifeblood of The Story Of Progress. They vastly accelerated humanity’s trajectory upward. No more horse-drawn carriages. No more candle-lit houses at night. No more hand-washing dirty clothes.
For those in the early-to-mid 20th Century, these fossil fuels must have appeared as a gift from God. Just below our feet was a seemingly endless supply of cheap, efficient energy that could power our whole lives and economies.
In 1989, that rosy outlook changed forever.
