The Miracle of the Car – Part Four – The Miracle of Oil
THE MIRACLE OF OIL – Bringing Light Where there was Darkness, Bringing Warmth where there was Cold, Shrinking Time and Space
1.) In this era of climate change, it’s easy to forget the miracle of oil – how it brought light where there was darkness, warmth where there was cold, how it shrunk time and space to bring needed goods to the needy faster and cheaper than before
2.) Energy density is at the heart of this remarkable story: gasoline has an energy density of 46 (MJ/kg) versus 16 for wood and 24 for coal. (And just for a fun comparison: 3.9 MM for uranium 235).
3.) The eye-popping, page-turning history of how oil came to supplant coal and wood is told in one of the greatest books of the last 50 years: The Prize by Daniel Yergin.
4.) And, thankfully, this long, engrossing book was turned into a fantastic PBS documentary, narrated by Donald Sutherland.
I INVITE YOU TO READ OR TAKE A LISTEN!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prize:_The_Epic_Quest_for_Oil,_Money,_and_Power