Reading Group: The Origins of Fossil Capital: From Water to Steam

This reading is a little on the longer side so I'm planning to give two weeks for the reading. Pages 15-43 from this reading (the later pages are optional, trying to keep the reading somewhat manageable):

https://geosci.uchicago.edu/~moyer/GEOS24705/Readings/From_water_to_steam.pdf

In our previous session, we covered the planetary boundaries framework, a quantitative framework for establishing a safe operating space for humanity within various ranges - keeping CO2 below 350 ppm, maintaining a certain percentage of forest coverage, just to name two. (Reminder you can find all our old readings in the archive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14hCZyfLOAqDXqyY_W1ZGG5rILcnzBBUS?usp=sharing).

However, it also brought up an interesting discussion about how even a pragmatic framework such as this one is more similar to a harm reduction strategy that may ignore negative environmental costs fundamentally associated with an industrial society.

This reading gives a history of the transition from water to steam power in the 1800s, and with it insights into the socioeconomic reasoning behind which source of power won out in the end. I think it'll be interesting and give us insights into the context in which we approach environmental issues today. I will note that as a group, I don't want us to get too bogged down in prescriptivist conclusions in our discussions, but I think we are well served by focusing on learning from empirical research and understanding various lenses through which to understand environmental issues.

Discussion Questions: TBD