Posted 1 January 2013
"Then mankind began to develop technologies to augment or displace living nature’s uncertain bounty. Gradually food supplies and nutrition improved and population, living standards, and human well-being advanced haltingly. The Industrial Revolution accelerated these trends. Mankind broke its Malthusian bonds. Growth became the norm. Population exploded, along with living standards and well-being. Technologies dependent on cheap fossil fuels enabled these improving trends." Indur Goklany puts the benefits of fossil fuels into perspective in a detailed review.