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People began as a coal and wood use is a problem when excited. In order to provide coal, the more energy is a low-cost, but the energy is, the more people. In the past of energy is very expensive. Outside of the major cities, many people in the home can not be revealed. Some electrical products and to provide convenience. This is why the discovery of coal as a source of energy, it is revolution! Once a cheap, powerful, rich source of energy in the electrification spread full swing. This powerful new energy source, scientists, engineers and inventors and create a more powerful engine in order to create the world's biggest economic power has so far known.           The Beat Goes On… Or Does It?     "World resources running out"   "World braces itself for energy shortages"   "Energy producers struggle to keep up with demand"     Does this sound like today's news? Actually newspapers ran headlines like these over 100 years ago!   Only back then, people were worried about running out of wood, not gas or coal. They fretted about forests being cut down and predicted that we would run out of wood to use for heating. In fact, in 1905 President Theodore Roosevelt claimed that a timber famine was inevitable.   Wood was not only the main source of heat for millions of people in the United States and worldwide, but it was also used to build homes, fences, railroad tracks, and bridges. Many forests were cleared so farmers could grow crops. The fear of a timber shortage was very real. And yet, one hundred years later, we still have plenty of wood. So what happened?   As wood became less available and more expensive, smart people all over the world started looking for an alternative and found coal. Beginning in the 1900s, coal began to replace wood as a fuel source.   ... As people began switching from wood to coal, that's when things got really exciting. Because coal provided more energy at less cost, it brought energy to more people. In the past energy was very expensive. Outside of big cities, many people could not afford to light their homes. There were few electric appliances or conveniences.   That's why the discovery of coal as an energy source was revolutionary! Once there was a cheap, powerful, plentiful source of energy, electrification spread like wildfire. With this powerful new energy source, scientists, engineers, and inventors created more powerful engines, which in turn powered the creation of the greatest economy the world has ever known.   Today, coal is the major energy source in the United States. In fact, coal has become such an important source of energy that people are concerned that we might run out of it too! But we haven't and we won't.   Innovation and technology brought us oil and gas, which quickly replaced coal for some uses. And, of course, we soon found even more exciting ways to use these new sources of energy. No government regulation or restrictions powered the shift from wood to coal, or coal to oil and gas.   It was rising prices coupled with human creativity. Once the cost of coal approached that of wood, people switched.   The same thing happened with oil and gas as coal became more expensive. Meanwhile, seeing the opportunity to make a profit, people produced more of these new forms of energy, bringing the price down even further. In the process, millions of lives have been improved and enriched.   And that beat goes on! As fossil fuels become more expensive both in dollar and environmental costs, we're starting the shift towards newer and cleaner technologies. And again, the government doesn't need to force or regulate this shift. Once new technologies emerge at competitive prices, consumers make the shift themselves.         — Holly Fretwell, The Sky's Not Falling!: Why It's Ok to Chill About Global Warming, Chapter 5 – New Ideas to Rock Your World                         Indexes/19