An average inhabitant of the Earth today has at their disposal nearly 700 times more useful energy than their ancestors had at the beginning of the 19th century.
To bring some perspective:
When put in terms of physical labor, it is as if 60 adults would be working non-stop, day and night, for each average person on the planet today.
And for the inhabitants of affluent countries this equivalent of steadily laboring adults would be, depending on the specific country, mostly between 200 and 240.
On average, it seems humans now enjoy a better lifestyle than the royalty in the middle ages.
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Some eye-opening insights from a wonderful book I am reading - How The World Really Works by Vaclav Smil.
It's a fact-based, engaging, inter-disciplinary, and practical take on the most important issue of our times: Climate Change. Beautifully explains how we came to be where we are today and where we might be headed.
Must read for everyone.
#Book #energy #climate #future