Burning Up - A Global History of Fossil Fuel Consumption

Coal, gas and oil have been capitalism's main fuels since the industrial revolution. And yet, of all the fossil fuels ever consumed, more than half were burned in the last 50 years. Most alarming of all, fossil fuel consumption has grown fastest in the last three decades, since scientists confirmed that it is the main cause of potentially devastating global warming.

In Burning Up, Simon Pirani recounts the history of fossil fuels' relentless rise since the mid twentieth century. Dispelling explanations foregrounding Western consumerism, and arguments that population growth is the main problem, Pirani shows how fossil fuels are consumed through technological, social and economic systems, and that these systems must change.

This is a major contribution to understanding the greatest crisis of our time.

About the author

Simon Pirani is Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, and has written widely on Soviet history and energy issues. His books include Burning Up: A Global History of Fossil Fuel Consumption (Pluto, 2018), The Russian Revolution in Retreat (Routledge, 2008) and Change in Putin’s Russia (Pluto, 2009).

Product details

• Authors: Simon Pirani, Pirani Simon
• Publisher: Wiley
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.10.2018
• EAN: 9780745335629
• ISBN: 978-0-7453-3562-9
• Weight: 574 g
• Illustrations: 10 b&w figures, Zahlen
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; SCIENCE / Global Warming & Climate Change, Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection, Climate Change, 20th Century, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Environmental Economics, TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / History, Environmental Economics, Pollution & threats to the environment, History of engineering and technology, History of engineering & technology, Fossil fuel technologies