Coal: Part I

In the first episode of the Stepchange podcast, co-hosts Ben Eidelson and Anay Shah delve into the history of coal, tracing its origins back 400 million years to the Carboniferous period and exploring its transformative role in human history. They discuss coal's early uses, particularly in China, and its rise to prominence in Britain, which fueled the Industrial Revolution. The hosts examine the technological advancements, such as the steam engine and railways, that coal enabled, as well as the profound social and environmental impacts, including labor exploitation and pollution. They also touch on coal's influence on the American Civil War and its continued relevance today as a major source of CO2 emissions, reflecting on the themes of serendipity, economic forces, human ingenuity, and the immense human suffering intertwined with coal's story.