#24: The Stepchange Podcast: Coal Part I

Today I'm excited to introduce a new project, the Stepchange podcast, where we share the stories of human progress. Like Climate Papa, it's driven by a curiosity about the systems that shape our world, but focuses on the historical innovations and moments that got us here and the transformations happening now.

The show is a long-form conversation hosted by me and Anay where we unpack the technologies, systems, and infrastructure that underpin modern life. Our first episode explores coal's role in the Industrial Revolution - a story that echoes through to the many fuel debated today. You can listen by searching for "Stepchange" on your preferred podcast platform (here on Spotify and Apple Podcasts).

Climate Papa email subscribers will be added to the Stepchange email list so that you don’t miss future episodes. If the show is not for you, you can always unsubscribe and your Climate Papa updates will not be impacted.

Subscribe: stepchange.show

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Coal is the story of a step change—a transformation so profound that it reshaped the course of human history. The rise of coal reshaped economies, societies, and the very way we live. It became the foundation of the Industrial Revolution and powered a new era of progress, but this leap forward came at a tremendous cost.

Coal’s story begins with ancient plants that captured sunlight and locked away carbon over millennia. These deposits, buried deep in the Earth, would one day drive empires and fuel industries that transformed the world. Yet, behind this transformation lies a complex and often difficult legacy.

Even as coal has faded from the forefront of our energy landscape, its fingerprints remain everywhere. The technologies it spawned, from steam engines and the rail to industrial manufacturing, continue to underpin our modern world. At the same time, coal’s legacy is inseparable from many of the challenges we face today, from labor abuse and environmental degradation to global climate change.

In this debut episode, we explore the first chapter of coal's story, from its early discovery and use through the dawn of the 20th century.

Thank you for joining us for the first episode of Stepchange. Don’t forget to subscribe and share your thoughts by emailing us at hi@stepchange.show.

Hosts: Ben Shwab Eidelson and Anay Shah

Timestamps

00:00 - Welcome to Stepchange
03:37 - The Birth of Coal
09:39 - Coal's Early History
17:01 - Britain's Coal Transformation
25:49 - Reshaping Home & Hearth
34:49 - The Iron & Coke Revolution
44:28 - The Steam Engine Breakthrough
1:03:37 - The Railway Revolution
1:19:50 - The Rise of Industrial Cities
1:38:57 - Life in the Mines
1:54:37 - Coal Comes to America
2:24:11 - Themes & Reflections

1. Freese, Barbara. Coal: A Human History

2. Goodman, Ruth. The Domestic Revolution: How the Introduction of Coal into Victorian Homes Changed Everything

3. Paxman, Jeremy. Black Gold: The History of How Coal Made Britain

4. Sinclair, Upton. King Coal:a Novel (fiction)

Barbara Freese, 12/12/24

Johnston Suter, 1/6/24

Geological History

• The Carboniferous Period

• Earth's Historical Timeline Visualization

• Coal-Bearing Areas of the United States

• USGS: Coal Resources and Historical Production

• Coal Mining in Ancient China

• Coal Mining Regions

Industrial Development

• British Population Growth (1100-Present)

• The Industrial Revolution

• Evolution of Steam Power

  • History of the Steam Engine

  • Newcomen Atmospheric Engine

• Key Industrial Figures

  • Abraham Darby I

  • James Watt

  • Matthew Boulton

  • John Wilkinson

  • Franklin B. Gowen

  • The Lunar Society of Birmingham

  • The Grand Allies

  • George Stephenson

Social Impact and Labor History

• Friedrich Engels

• Coal Mining Labor Practices and "Hurrying"

• Lord Ashley and Labor Reform

• The Great Smog of London (1952)

• The Centralia Mine Fire

• Pennsylvania Anthracite Mining History

Modern Context

• Global Coal Consumption Trends

• Emissions by Fuel Type