Coal perhaps singlehandedly brought about a change of era in humankind's path to progress. On International&nbsp;Coal Miners&nbsp;Day (May 4), this seemingly simple black rock, its impact on the world and also the plight of thousands of coal miners who risked (and even lost) their lives in coal mines, deserve a thought.

Coal is nothing but an energy-rich aggregate of carbon. Its relative abundance and energy-rich nature made it a go-to source of energy, especially during the Industrial Revolution.

Coal mining operations grew tremendously during Industrial Revolution (1760-1840). From running locomotives to heating buildings, coal found applications everywhere. The large demand also meant that huge manpower was poured into coal mining.

<img alt="Coal miner" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5b10ceec-813f-4d5b-aa37-e09f02bfd2ed" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2022-05-03T074718Z_3_LYNXNPEI4207E_RTROPTP_4_INDIA-ELECTRICITY-POLICY.JPG" />

For centuries, coal has remained the primary energy source for industrial operations. As the Euro-centric model of progress and industry was replicated world over by countries that wanted their piece of the pie to ensure their development, coal was used (and mined) across the globe.

Coal is still backbone of industries in many developing countries in the world. As methods to harness renewable sources of energy remain costly even today, poorer countries are still forced to be dependent on coal for their energy needs.

Coal: A 'dirty fuel'?

Coal may have ushered in a new era for humankind but in the information age, it often meets the disapproval of many.

The reason? Tremendous pollution.

Coal is essentially a combustible rock. The carbon content in different types of coal may vary but fact remains that coal is carbon-rich.

As it is burnt to obtain energy, the carbon escapes into the atmosphere in form of various compounds. Some of them are noxious gases.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) contributes to Green House Effect and in turn to Global Warming. Imagine the amount of carbon released in the air due to centuries of coal-burning.

As we battle to slow down global warming, there is an international push to reduce dependency on coal and reduce carbon emissions. Coal, therefore, is increasingly falling out of favour.

Watch | India's coal reserves fall. What does it mean?

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The dilemma

It is true that the use of coal has contributed to increased carbon content in the atmosphere over centuries. The&nbsp;dilemma, and even dispute over reduced dependence on coal&nbsp;has&nbsp;valid arguments on both sides.

Developed nations (which, in most cases, have already burnt their huge share of coal for own&nbsp;progress) are lobbying for reduced use of coal globally. However, many developing and poor countries argue that such compulsions go against their right to ensure their own development.

Efforts are on to find a middle path between these two sides. We may not exclusively&nbsp;be dependent on coal anymore. But the black rock isn't likely to escape our conversations and debates anytime soon!

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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Coal perhaps singlehandedly brought about a change of era in humankind's path to progress. On International Coal Miners Day (May 4), this seemingly simple black rock, its impact on the world and also the plight of thousands of coal miners who risked (and even lost) their lives in coal mines, deserve a thought.

Coal perhaps singlehandedly brought about a change of era in humankind's path to progress. On International Coal Miners Day (May 4), this seemingly simple black rock, its impact on the world and also the plight of thousands of coal miners who risked (and even lost) their lives in coal mines, deserve a thought. Coal is nothing but an energy-rich aggregate of carbon. Its relative abundance and energy-rich nature made it a go-to source of energy, especially during the Industrial Revolution. Coal mining operations grew tremendously during Industrial Revolution (1760-1840). From running locomotives to heating buildings, coal found applications everywhere. The large demand also meant that huge manpower was poured into coal mining. For centuries, coal has remained the primary energy source for industrial operations. As the Euro-centric model of progress and industry was replicated world over by countries that wanted their piece of the pie to ensure their development, coal was used (and mined) across the globe. Coal is still backbone of industries in many developing countries in the world. As methods to harness renewable sources of energy remain costly even today, poorer countries are still forced to be dependent on coal for their energy needs. Coal: A 'dirty fuel'? Coal may have ushered in a new era for humankind but in the information age, it often meets the disapproval of many. The reason? Tremendous pollution. Coal is essentially a combustible rock. The carbon content in different types of coal may vary but fact remains that coal is carbon-rich. As it is burnt to obtain energy, the carbon escapes into the atmosphere in form of various compounds. Some of them are noxious gases. Carbon dioxide (CO2) contributes to Green House Effect and in turn to Global Warming. Imagine the amount of carbon released in the air due to centuries of coal-burning. As we battle to slow down global warming, there is an international push to reduce dependency on coal and reduce carbon emissions. Coal, therefore, is increasingly falling out of favour. Watch | India's coal reserves fall. What does it mean? The dilemma It is true that the use of coal has contributed to increased carbon content in the atmosphere over centuries. The dilemma, and even dispute over reduced dependence on coal has valid arguments on both sides. Developed nations (which, in most cases, have already burnt their huge share of coal for own progress) are lobbying for reduced use of coal globally. However, many developing and poor countries argue that such compulsions go against their right to ensure their own development. Efforts are on to find a middle path between these two sides. We may not exclusively be dependent on coal anymore. But the black rock isn't likely to escape our conversations and debates anytime soon! WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

International Coal Miners Day 2022: A look at the black rock that changed our world

Up to 95 percent of Earth's ocean surface will have changed by the end of the century unless humanity reins in its carbon emissions, according to research published Thursday.&nbsp;

Ocean surface climates, defined by surface water temperature, acidity, and the concentration of the mineral aragonite,&nbsp;which many marine animals use to form bones and shell,&nbsp;support the vast majority of sea life.&nbsp;

The world's seas have absorbed around a third of all carbon pollution produced since the Industrial Revolution.

But with&nbsp;atmospheric CO2 levels increasing at a rate unprecedented in at least three million years, there are fears that ocean surface climates may become less hospitable to the species it hosts.&nbsp;

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US-based researchers wanted to see what effect carbon pollution has already had on ocean surface since the mid-18th century. They also projected the impact of emissions through to 2100.

To do so, they modelled global ocean climates across three time periods: the early 19th century (1795-1834); the late 20th century (1965-2004); and the late 21st century (2065-2014).&nbsp;

They then ran the models through two emissions scenarios. The first, known as RCP4.5,&nbsp;envisions a peak in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 followed by a slow decrease across the rest of the century.

The second scenario, RCP8.5,&nbsp;is a "business as usual" approach, where emissions continue to rise throughout the next 80 years.

Writing in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, the researchers found that under the RCP4.5 scenario, 36 percent of the ocean surface conditions present throughout the 20th century are likely to disappear by 2100.

Under the high emissions scenario, that figure rises to 95 percent.&nbsp;

The team also found that while ocean surface climates showed little sign of change during the 20th century, by 2100, up to 82 percent of ocean surface may experience climates not seen in recent history.

These include seas that are hotter, more acidic and that contain fewer minerals vital for sea life to grow.

Lead study author Katie Lotterhos, from Northeastern University's Marine&nbsp;Science&nbsp;Center, said the ocean's changing composition due to carbon pollution would likely impact all surface species.

"Species that are narrowly adapted to a climate that is disappearing will have to adapt to different conditions," she told AFP.

"A climate in which the&nbsp;temperature and&nbsp;chemistry&nbsp;of the water is common today will be rare or absent in the future."

Diminishing options&nbsp;

While surface species have so far been able to move around in order to avoid anomalously warm or acidic areas of ocean, Thursday's study suggests that in the future their options may be limited due to near-uniform warming and acidification.

"Already, many marine species have shifted their ranges in response to warmer waters," said Lotterhos.&nbsp;

"The communities of species that are found in one area will continue to shift and change rapidly over the coming decades."

She said that governments needed to monitor future shifting habits in marine surface species.&nbsp;

But, ultimately, the world's oceans need the emissions driving their heating and acidification to cease.

"Without (emissions) mitigation,&nbsp;novel and disappearing climates in the sea surface will be widespread around the globe by 2100," said Lotterhos.

Up to 95 percent of Earth's ocean surface will have changed by the end of the century unless humanity reins in its carbon emissions, according to research published Thursday.

Up to 95 percent of Earth's ocean surface will have changed by the end of the century unless humanity reins in its carbon emissions, according to research published Thursday. Ocean surface climates, defined by surface water temperature, acidity, and the concentration of the mineral aragonite, which many marine animals use to form bones and shell, support the vast majority of sea life. The world's seas have absorbed around a third of all carbon pollution produced since the Industrial Revolution. But with atmospheric CO2 levels increasing at a rate unprecedented in at least three million years, there are fears that ocean surface climates may become less hospitable to the species it hosts. US-based researchers wanted to see what effect carbon pollution has already had on ocean surface since the mid-18th century. They also projected the impact of emissions through to 2100. To do so, they modelled global ocean climates across three time periods: the early 19th century (1795-1834); the late 20th century (1965-2004); and the late 21st century (2065-2014). They then ran the models through two emissions scenarios. The first, known as RCP4.5, envisions a peak in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 followed by a slow decrease across the rest of the century. The second scenario, RCP8.5, is a "business as usual" approach, where emissions continue to rise throughout the next 80 years. Writing in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, the researchers found that under the RCP4.5 scenario, 36 percent of the ocean surface conditions present throughout the 20th century are likely to disappear by 2100. Under the high emissions scenario, that figure rises to 95 percent. The team also found that while ocean surface climates showed little sign of change during the 20th century, by 2100, up to 82 percent of ocean surface may experience climates not seen in recent history. These include seas that are hotter, more acidic and that contain fewer minerals vital for sea life to grow. Lead study author Katie Lotterhos, from Northeastern University's Marine Science Center, said the ocean's changing composition due to carbon pollution would likely impact all surface species. "Species that are narrowly adapted to a climate that is disappearing will have to adapt to different conditions," she told AFP. "A climate in which the temperature and chemistry of the water is common today will be rare or absent in the future." Diminishing options While surface species have so far been able to move around in order to avoid anomalously warm or acidic areas of ocean, Thursday's study suggests that in the future their options may be limited due to near-uniform warming and acidification. "Already, many marine species have shifted their ranges in response to warmer waters," said Lotterhos. "The communities of species that are found in one area will continue to shift and change rapidly over the coming decades." She said that governments needed to monitor future shifting habits in marine surface species. But, ultimately, the world's oceans need the emissions driving their heating and acidification to cease. "Without (emissions) mitigation, novel and disappearing climates in the sea surface will be widespread around the globe by 2100," said Lotterhos.

Study says ocean surface climates may disappear by 2100

The 4th&nbsp;Industrial Revolution, like its predecessors, is uneven in its scope, shape and form. But, given the staggering pace of Information, Communication Technologies (ICT’s), it is not only real but countries, firms and businesses will have to adapt to it to stay relevant.&nbsp; While this revolution has not panned out in its entirety, but the Covid 19 pandemic appears to have given impetus to one major aspect or concomitant of it: the nature and the world of work. Except for the very essential services, most work has been done remotely since the onset of the pandemic. If this is the prelude or snapshot of the times to come, what will become of that modern concept and practice that made organizations effective, efficient and, yes, at times, enterprising- that is, management?

While definitions of management need not detain us here, but we may refer to the conventional definition of the same as the administration of organisations and ‘controlling’ people. If this definition holds then, as more and more work becomes digitized and remote working becomes the norm than the exception, management conventionally defined no longer exists. Or, if it exists, it is a pale shadow of itself. The reasons, in the main, pertain to the distribution of work, its spread, nature and how people perceive themselves and their rights. Re the last point, as the world of work compresses, and a given job that can be done by a person in New York or London can be done with the same tempo and skill by someone in Nairobi, for example, not only will there be awareness of work conditions and rights everywhere but the differentiator of ‘good’ management from ‘bad’ management will be culture and the understanding of cultural differences, and nuances and how to manage these.

Mind you this trend will not be akin to outsourcing where back end operations of the value chain of a given firm were dispersed around the world. No, it will be and is something profound. It will not entail coordination of different time zones but patterns of work will be so drastically altered that essentially and increasingly management will mean astute and dynamic leadership skills that would call for greater sensitivity and sensibility. In other words, &nbsp;there will be a fuller multi-culturalisation of work and work practices. In this schemata, to repeat, only aware, sensitive leadership that is culturally aware will constitute best practice.

There will be other fallouts too: one of these is a paradox- as deglobalization takes place in the domain of politics, trade and political economy, the world of work will remain globalized whose intensity is likely to intensify. This particular facet might even have sanguine consequences: while in the recent past or even now, the quest for work, especially in its white-collar dimension would take people to other countries, especially in and to the West, the 4th&nbsp;Industrial Revolution patterns of work can keep them rooted and plugged in at the same time.

If this is the template for work in the 21st&nbsp;century and beyond, another clear cut implication would be enhanced digital literacy or building ‘digital human capital’ by all nations.&nbsp; In the nature of an imperative commanded by the 4th&nbsp;Industrial Revolution, digital literacy would mean the addition of more knowledge workers to a nation’s human capital stock. Lacking a digitally literate population, a country is even likely to fall in the human development indices. All this is not to reflexively and uncritically root for the 4th&nbsp;Industrial Revolution. It stands to reason that if politically mismanaged and if the human element goes out of the policy, political and leadership matrix, this revolution can have potentially deleterious consequences. But, its tour de force is unstoppable.&nbsp; This then axiomatically means that its potential and power be harnessed. Given that, &nbsp;all dimensions of life-political, economic, social – will be impacted profoundly by the 4th&nbsp;Industrial Revolution and whose immediate and the most visible consequence will be on the nature and form of work, it stands to reason to devise appropriate lenses for these. The omission of the word structures is deliberate here because the organizational structures that will emerge will be looser than before. This will alter conventional and traditional paradigms of management and pride of place and primacy will be accorded to human and leadership skills in a workplace that will be spread all over the world.&nbsp; The larger point here is that algorithms and artificial intelligence and so on will gradually but inexorably be the norm but the lexicon and grammar of work and management will be able, deft, dexterous and sensitive leadership. To conclude, ‘management is dead, long live management’

The 4th Industrial Revolution, like its predecessors, is uneven in its scope, shape and form. But, given the staggering pace of Information, Communication Technologies (ICT’s), it is not only real but countries, firms and businesses will have to adapt to it to stay relevant.

The 4th Industrial Revolution, like its predecessors, is uneven in its scope, shape and form. But, given the staggering pace of Information, Communication Technologies (ICT’s), it is not only real but countries, firms and businesses will have to adapt to it to stay relevant. While this revolution has not panned out in its entirety, but the Covid 19 pandemic appears to have given impetus to one major aspect or concomitant of it: the nature and the world of work. Except for the very essential services, most work has been done remotely since the onset of the pandemic. If this is the prelude or snapshot of the times to come, what will become of that modern concept and practice that made organizations effective, efficient and, yes, at times, enterprising- that is, management? While definitions of management need not detain us here, but we may refer to the conventional definition of the same as the administration of organisations and ‘controlling’ people. If this definition holds then, as more and more work becomes digitized and remote working becomes the norm than the exception, management conventionally defined no longer exists. Or, if it exists, it is a pale shadow of itself. The reasons, in the main, pertain to the distribution of work, its spread, nature and how people perceive themselves and their rights. Re the last point, as the world of work compresses, and a given job that can be done by a person in New York or London can be done with the same tempo and skill by someone in Nairobi, for example, not only will there be awareness of work conditions and rights everywhere but the differentiator of ‘good’ management from ‘bad’ management will be culture and the understanding of cultural differences, and nuances and how to manage these. Mind you this trend will not be akin to outsourcing where back end operations of the value chain of a given firm were dispersed around the world. No, it will be and is something profound. It will not entail coordination of different time zones but patterns of work will be so drastically altered that essentially and increasingly management will mean astute and dynamic leadership skills that would call for greater sensitivity and sensibility. In other words, there will be a fuller multi-culturalisation of work and work practices. In this schemata, to repeat, only aware, sensitive leadership that is culturally aware will constitute best practice. There will be other fallouts too: one of these is a paradox- as deglobalization takes place in the domain of politics, trade and political economy, the world of work will remain globalized whose intensity is likely to intensify. This particular facet might even have sanguine consequences: while in the recent past or even now, the quest for work, especially in its white-collar dimension would take people to other countries, especially in and to the West, the 4th Industrial Revolution patterns of work can keep them rooted and plugged in at the same time. If this is the template for work in the 21st century and beyond, another clear cut implication would be enhanced digital literacy or building ‘digital human capital’ by all nations. In the nature of an imperative commanded by the 4th Industrial Revolution, digital literacy would mean the addition of more knowledge workers to a nation’s human capital stock. Lacking a digitally literate population, a country is even likely to fall in the human development indices. All this is not to reflexively and uncritically root for the 4th Industrial Revolution. It stands to reason that if politically mismanaged and if the human element goes out of the policy, political and leadership matrix, this revolution can have potentially deleterious consequences. But, its tour de force is unstoppable. This then axiomatically means that its potential and power be harnessed. Given that, all dimensions of life-political, economic, social – will be impacted profoundly by the 4th Industrial Revolution and whose immediate and the most visible consequence will be on the nature and form of work, it stands to reason to devise appropriate lenses for these. The omission of the word structures is deliberate here because the organizational structures that will emerge will be looser than before. This will alter conventional and traditional paradigms of management and pride of place and primacy will be accorded to human and leadership skills in a workplace that will be spread all over the world. The larger point here is that algorithms and artificial intelligence and so on will gradually but inexorably be the norm but the lexicon and grammar of work and management will be able, deft, dexterous and sensitive leadership. To conclude, ‘management is dead, long live management’

Will the 4th Industrial Revolution kill management?

Like any upheaval, the fourth industrial revolution, which the world is on the cusp of, is upending paradigms, ideas and conventions. Profoundly disruptive like its predecessors, this momentous change of great import is reconfiguring the nature of businesses, firms, industries, markets and even the conventional notion of work. If to paraphrase, Thomas Friedman, of the New York Times, the previous industrial revolutions were first about weight and mass, then miniaturisation, the current one is about digits or digitisation. Anything that is not discrete, as in does not have a physical feel, or in the jargon of economists is a ‘non-tradable’ , can be digitised and then, at the click of a mouse, transferred to any part of the world. &nbsp;

Overlaid by other trends and developments of equal if not even more significant import like Artificial Intelligence(AI) and Robotics, the configuration and settings, to employ computing-related metaphors, of the fourth industrial revolution, are ushering in changes at a dramatic scale and speed that perhaps the world is not yet equipped to deal with. But, deal with these gales of creative destruction the world must if countries and societies that are not to be left as roadkill. While there is an element of technological determinism to these top-down changes, the question is: how can societies cope up?

The short answer is adaptation and integration. That is, the technological tsunami or juggernaut that is in its infancy yet must not be resisted. Instead, it must be incorporated and integrated into the very fabric of societies and their concomitants like businesses, firms, industries and markets. Admittedly, the nature of this adaptation will neither be easy nor seamless and is likely to cause frisson and friction within societies altering radically not only the nature and patterns of employment, work, processes, products and services but also the bases of social and economic organisation. This disruption, if it is to contribute to social welfare and progress needs to be managed. The question is how?

For both developing and developed societies, the changes induced by the Fourth Industrial Revolution present challenges and opportunities. In fact, it may be that the traditional North-South divide may have evaporated now. We are then in it together. While this is the major silver lining of the ongoing great disruption, other salubrious themes that stand out are that, for developing countries, 21st-century technologies render it eminently possible to ‘leap frog’ the process of catch up. For the developed world, these technologies make it possible to ‘re-industrialise’ albeit in a different permutation and combination. &nbsp;

Key here, to repeat, is adaptation and integration(or adaptation). An example might suffice to illustrate the point here. It is now generally held (and in some contexts is already happening), the relatively lesser component of work and processes are already being automated. It is work, processes and so on at the other end of the spectrum-the kind that requires a more sophisticated skillset- that is being done and conducted by humans. If this is the bellwether and the trend for the future, then the implications are pretty much obvious: these hark to integrating work done by humans and machines and thereby put a premium on skills and skill development that speaks to the needs of the times. In this schemata then, societies need to reorient themselves to a new social contract where perhaps there is no such thing as employment and work in the conventional sense and there as is now a conventional view, is a premium or even a demand for lifelong learning. &nbsp;

This, among other things, means that human capital and its vigorous development should enter the lexicon of both policymakers and businesses.

Machines and humans, right from the spinning jenny to robots now have long interacted and created a basis for social and economic progress. Each time a new invention and discovery were made in the economic history of mankind, it created angst and competing visions of both Utopia and dystopia. The prosaic reality, albeit in hindsight, is that humans adapted and adjusted and none of these competing visions actually to came to pass, even though, mankind has generally progressed. This time is no different. This assertion, however, needs a qualifier: the fourth industrial revolution’s defining characteristic is the staggering speed, scope and scale of change where time is a critical resource. It is about time then that we gird our loins and not merely brace for change but employ it for the benefit of societies and the world, at large.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

Like any upheaval, the fourth industrial revolution, which the world is on the cusp of, is upending paradigms, ideas and conventions. Profoundly disruptive like its predecessors, this momentous change of great import is reconfiguring the nature of businesses, firms, industries, markets and even the conventional notion of work.

Like any upheaval, the fourth industrial revolution, which the world is on the cusp of, is upending paradigms, ideas and conventions. Profoundly disruptive like its predecessors, this momentous change of great import is reconfiguring the nature of businesses, firms, industries, markets and even the conventional notion of work. If to paraphrase, Thomas Friedman, of the New York Times, the previous industrial revolutions were first about weight and mass, then miniaturisation, the current one is about digits or digitisation. Anything that is not discrete, as in does not have a physical feel, or in the jargon of economists is a ‘non-tradable’ , can be digitised and then, at the click of a mouse, transferred to any part of the world. Overlaid by other trends and developments of equal if not even more significant import like Artificial Intelligence(AI) and Robotics, the configuration and settings, to employ computing-related metaphors, of the fourth industrial revolution, are ushering in changes at a dramatic scale and speed that perhaps the world is not yet equipped to deal with. But, deal with these gales of creative destruction the world must if countries and societies that are not to be left as roadkill. While there is an element of technological determinism to these top-down changes, the question is: how can societies cope up? The short answer is adaptation and integration. That is, the technological tsunami or juggernaut that is in its infancy yet must not be resisted. Instead, it must be incorporated and integrated into the very fabric of societies and their concomitants like businesses, firms, industries and markets. Admittedly, the nature of this adaptation will neither be easy nor seamless and is likely to cause frisson and friction within societies altering radically not only the nature and patterns of employment, work, processes, products and services but also the bases of social and economic organisation. This disruption, if it is to contribute to social welfare and progress needs to be managed. The question is how? For both developing and developed societies, the changes induced by the Fourth Industrial Revolution present challenges and opportunities. In fact, it may be that the traditional North-South divide may have evaporated now. We are then in it together. While this is the major silver lining of the ongoing great disruption, other salubrious themes that stand out are that, for developing countries, 21st-century technologies render it eminently possible to ‘leap frog’ the process of catch up. For the developed world, these technologies make it possible to ‘re-industrialise’ albeit in a different permutation and combination. Key here, to repeat, is adaptation and integration(or adaptation). An example might suffice to illustrate the point here. It is now generally held (and in some contexts is already happening), the relatively lesser component of work and processes are already being automated. It is work, processes and so on at the other end of the spectrum-the kind that requires a more sophisticated skillset- that is being done and conducted by humans. If this is the bellwether and the trend for the future, then the implications are pretty much obvious: these hark to integrating work done by humans and machines and thereby put a premium on skills and skill development that speaks to the needs of the times. In this schemata then, societies need to reorient themselves to a new social contract where perhaps there is no such thing as employment and work in the conventional sense and there as is now a conventional view, is a premium or even a demand for lifelong learning. This, among other things, means that human capital and its vigorous development should enter the lexicon of both policymakers and businesses. Machines and humans, right from the spinning jenny to robots now have long interacted and created a basis for social and economic progress. Each time a new invention and discovery were made in the economic history of mankind, it created angst and competing visions of both Utopia and dystopia. The prosaic reality, albeit in hindsight, is that humans adapted and adjusted and none of these competing visions actually to came to pass, even though, mankind has generally progressed. This time is no different. This assertion, however, needs a qualifier: the fourth industrial revolution’s defining characteristic is the staggering speed, scope and scale of change where time is a critical resource. It is about time then that we gird our loins and not merely brace for change but employ it for the benefit of societies and the world, at large. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Fourth industrial revolution changes everything - is the world ready?

British Raj Financed Its Industrial Revolution By Robbing India.

Gravitas: How Britain Looted $45 Trillion From India

Britain, the birthplace of coal power, has gone seven days without electricity from coal-fired stations for the first time since its 19th century industrial revolution, the country's power grid operator said on Wednesday.

Britain was home to the world's first coal-fuelled power plant in the 1880s, and coal was its dominant electric source and a major economic driver for the next century.

However, coal plants emit almost double the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) - a heat-trapping gas blamed for global warming - as gas-fired power plants, and were moved out of Britain's cities from the late 1950's to reduce air pollution.

As part of efforts to meet its climate target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent compared with 1990 levels in the next three decades, Britain plans to wean itself completely off coal-fired power generation by 2025.

Low power prices and levies on CO2 emissions have also made it increasingly unprofitable to run coal plants, especially when wind and solar power production are high.

The National Grid, Britain's power transmission network, said coal-free runs like the one this week would become a regular occurrence as more renewable energy entered the system.

Britain's independent climate advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, last week recommended that it deepen its climate target to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

This would require even more renewable electricity production, an earlier phase out of new petrol and diesel cars, and lifestyle changes such as lower beef and lamb consumption.

Britain's last deep-cast coal mine closed in North Yorkshire in 2015, marking the end of an era for an industry once employing 1.2 million people in nearly 3,000 collieries.

"Just a few years ago we were told Britain couldn't possibly keep the lights on without burning coal," said Doug Parr, policy director at environmental activist group Greenpeace.

"Now coal is quickly becoming an irrelevance, much to the benefit of our climate and air quality, and we barely notice it."

Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher sounded the death knell for the industry in the mid-1980s when she defeated a bitter year-long miners' strike against plans to close collieries and eliminate jobs.

Last year the government rejected plans from Banks Mining to develop a new coal mine in northeastern England on the grounds it could hamper efforts to curb climate change.

However, the company won a High Court challenge to fight the decision and the application is now back with the current local government minister, James Brokenshire.

Britain, the birthplace of coal power, has gone seven days without electricity from coal-fired stations for the first time since its 19th century industrial revolution, the country's power grid operator said on Wednesday.

Britain, the birthplace of coal power, has gone seven days without electricity from coal-fired stations for the first time since its 19th century industrial revolution, the country's power grid operator said on Wednesday. Britain was home to the world's first coal-fuelled power plant in the 1880s, and coal was its dominant electric source and a major economic driver for the next century. However, coal plants emit almost double the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) - a heat-trapping gas blamed for global warming - as gas-fired power plants, and were moved out of Britain's cities from the late 1950's to reduce air pollution. As part of efforts to meet its climate target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent compared with 1990 levels in the next three decades, Britain plans to wean itself completely off coal-fired power generation by 2025. Low power prices and levies on CO2 emissions have also made it increasingly unprofitable to run coal plants, especially when wind and solar power production are high. The National Grid, Britain's power transmission network, said coal-free runs like the one this week would become a regular occurrence as more renewable energy entered the system. Britain's independent climate advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, last week recommended that it deepen its climate target to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This would require even more renewable electricity production, an earlier phase out of new petrol and diesel cars, and lifestyle changes such as lower beef and lamb consumption. Britain's last deep-cast coal mine closed in North Yorkshire in 2015, marking the end of an era for an industry once employing 1.2 million people in nearly 3,000 collieries. "Just a few years ago we were told Britain couldn't possibly keep the lights on without burning coal," said Doug Parr, policy director at environmental activist group Greenpeace. "Now coal is quickly becoming an irrelevance, much to the benefit of our climate and air quality, and we barely notice it." Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher sounded the death knell for the industry in the mid-1980s when she defeated a bitter year-long miners' strike against plans to close collieries and eliminate jobs. Last year the government rejected plans from Banks Mining to develop a new coal mine in northeastern England on the grounds it could hamper efforts to curb climate change. However, the company won a High Court challenge to fight the decision and the application is now back with the current local government minister, James Brokenshire.

Britain has first coal-free week in over a century

Although the machinery at the former Frigorifico Anglo site, a Uruguayan historic heritage monument, have not functioned for decades and are full of rust, visitors can still engage in "industrial archaeology" at the old cold-storage plant and discover how "the great kitchen of the world" worked.

Quirky Uruguayan museum showcases the history of industrial food producti

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