Get Free Shipping on orders over $79
Burning Up : A Global History of Fossil Fuel Consumption - Simon Pirani

Burning Up

A Global History of Fossil Fuel Consumption

By: Simon Pirani

Paperback | 20 August 2018 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback


Limited Stock Available

RRP $60.75

$24.00

60%OFF

or 4 interest-free payments of $6.00 with

In Stock and Ships in 1-2 business days

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.

Industry Reviews

'An extraordinarily ambitious, but arguably necessary task for our times'

-- Paul Warde, Faculty of History, University of Cambridge
'Insightful, precise and well-written, Burning Up turns energy consumption on its head. Pirani fills a crucial gap left by a mountain of shiny but vacuous reports and not enough solid history ... Anybody fighting climate change should read this' -- Mika Minio-Paluello, campaigner at Platform London and co-author of The Oil Road: journeys from the Caspian Sea to the City of London (Verso, 2013)
'This meticulous depiction of how fossil fuels are woven into our human systems - not only technological but also economic, social and political - is an invaluable aid to getting them back under control' -- Walt Patterson, author of Electricity vs Fire (2015)
'Explains the technological, social and economic processes that have prioritised a particular way of satisfying society's demand for energy services' -- Michael Bradshaw, Professor of Global Energy, Warwick Business School, UK, author of Global Energy Dilemmas (2013)
'Burning Up is a vital contribution to the climate movement. A first step to organizing around its insights will be to ensure it is widely read in the movement, and by those whose lives will be affected by climate change' -- Climate and Capitalism
'Recommended' -- CHOICE

'This comprehensive book provides a modern history of global fossil fuel consumption. Authoritative and well researched, it provides a solid bedrock to understand the ins and outs of fuels'

-- Bright Green

'An essential tool for understanding fossil fuel consumption in terms of the vested interests who have benefited from it'

-- Ann Pettifor, Guardian

Other Editions and Formats

Hardcover

Published: 20th August 2018

More in Earth Sciences

A Short History of Nearly Everything 2.0 - Bill Bryson

RRP $36.99

$29.75

20%
OFF
The Breath of the Gods : The History and Future of the Wind - Simon Winchester
Heart of Ice : A journey into Antarctica's frozen realm - Joy McCann
The River : A Journey through the Murray-Darling Basin - Chris Hammer
Ocean : Earth's Last Wilderness - Sir David Attenborough and Colin Butfield

RRP $34.99

$28.75

18%
OFF
The Fisherman : A chilling supernatural horror epic - John Langan
Prehistoric Australasia : Visions of Evolution and Extinction - Michael Archer
First Knowledges Country : Future Fire, Future Farming - Bruce Pascoe
Material World : A Substantial Story of Our Past and Future - Ed Conway
Enduramorphosis : Performance as Transformation through Endurance - Chelsea Coon
Adrift : The Curious Tale of the Lego Lost at Sea - Tracey Williams

RRP $51.99

$42.75

18%
OFF
Dr Karl's Little Book of Climate Change Science - Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki
The Weather Book : Why It Happens and Where It Comes From - Diana Craig