A Scary but VERY Interesting Thought...

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Gary in Pennsylvania
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Post by Gary in Pennsylvania » Fri. Nov. 17, 2006 9:42 am

So there I was this morning....5:30am watching the 'Blue Dance' and sippin' coffee.

I've been on a recent kick researching old coal burning stoves for heating and/or cooking and I like to think about the "Old Times" and what it may have been like. In my research (when translated that means - "Farting around on the internet!"), I see that coal was...without question...KING here in America for a loooooong time.

And I got to thinking about how coal is made.....from decayed organic matter. And it just so happens that someone was lucky enough to discover "Hey man! This stuff burns!".
That's all well and good....I'm sure that somebody would have eventually figured that one out.....but my wondering lies in the chemistry of coal. What if the decay plus pressure yielded a product that DIDN'T burn? What if chemistry was such that coal...no matter how much work and heat went into trying to light it......would just sit there like any other rock?

Now that you've got that stage mentally set........think waaaay back to the early 1800's....then to the mid & late 1800's......and especially during America's Industrial Revolution.....

Where would America be today economically, technologically, militarily, global presence, etc if coal DIDN'T burn? The entire industrial revolution was made possible by coal. All of our factories were powered/heated by coal. Our military was made possible by coal (foundries for tanks & ships & such). Our mass transportation was coal. Our heat was coal. Our home meals were coal. Our jobs and income were coal (for thousands). And the list goes on and on and on.

Would America be the superpower it is today if that Black Diamond didn't burn? :sad11:

Very frightening thought!

 
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traderfjp
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Post by traderfjp » Mon. Nov. 19, 2007 1:03 pm

I think you're correct in your assumptions. Perhaps if we didn't have coal and oil we would be processing ethanol and it may have happened a 100 years later. Perhaps if we didn't decimate Native Americans we might have melded their philosophy, on how to treat the earth, into out culture and we wouldn't have some of the environmental issues we face today. Who knows but it's fun to think about.

 
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coal berner
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Post by coal berner » Mon. Nov. 19, 2007 1:27 pm

Hi Gary Have you read where Anthracite was first discovered and How in 1790 here is some info by the way Read my Avatar :D
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthracite
Last edited by coal berner on Mon. Nov. 19, 2007 3:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 
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Dallas
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Post by Dallas » Mon. Nov. 19, 2007 2:21 pm

BTW, coal in a more "advanced state" doesn't burn ... it's a diamond!


 
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coal berner
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Post by coal berner » Mon. Nov. 19, 2007 3:50 pm

Dallas wrote:BTW, coal in a more "advanced state" doesn't burn ... it's a diamond!
Yes Dallas that is why the term Black Diamond is used alot in my area :D

 
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Duengeon master
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Post by Duengeon master » Wed. Nov. 21, 2007 7:29 pm

Dallas wrote:BTW, coal in a more "advanced state" doesn't burn ... it's a diamond!
Diamonds do burn. However they are a very expensive way to heat your house. :blowup: :blowup:

 
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coaledsweat
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Post by coaledsweat » Wed. Nov. 21, 2007 7:47 pm

Duengeon master wrote:Diamonds do burn. However they are a very expensive way to heat your house. :blowup: :blowup:
I wonder what the ignition point and BTUs are. :)

 
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JerseyCoal
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Post by JerseyCoal » Wed. Nov. 21, 2007 9:38 pm

I'm going to speculate that the demands of the marketplace would have accelerated the discovery of another suitable energy source if coal had not been available to fuel the industrial revolution. Have you noticed that it is only when oil is in short supply or when the price of oil is inflated by speculation that people and governments are interested in alternative energy sources? Without coal, the cost of firewood would have skyrocketed thereby making it economically feasible to explore and develop new energy options.

Perhaps the widespread use of petroleum would have come into existence much sooner. Maybe the industrial and economic growth of our country would have delayed by a few decades. Possibly solar and wind power would have looked at more seriously.

Here's another scary thought: If America's industrial might had been delayed due to a lack of fuel, would the outcomes of the First and Second World Wars have been different?


 
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traderfjp
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Post by traderfjp » Wed. Nov. 21, 2007 11:09 pm

Jersey: We might all be speaking German. Now that is a scary thought.

 
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gaw
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Post by gaw » Thu. Nov. 22, 2007 7:04 am

traderfjp wrote:Jersey: We might all be speaking German. Now that is a scary thought.
HEY! My ancestors were Germans. :rambo:

 
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traderfjp
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Post by traderfjp » Thu. Nov. 22, 2007 9:20 am

There are lots of good Germans I was refering to Nazis. There weren't the friendliest folks but quite motivated for power and world dominance.

 
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coaledsweat
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Post by coaledsweat » Thu. Nov. 22, 2007 10:01 am

Eisenhower was German too. It didn't stop him from starving a few 100,000 of their POWs.

 
bksaun
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Post by bksaun » Thu. Nov. 22, 2007 5:18 pm

Eisenhower, if alive, would quickly correct you and say he was (is) an American!

BK

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