The Misuse of Coal

Abstract

WHILE most thoroughly agreeing with Prof. Perry in his desire to see a more efficient use made of our coal-supply, I yet think that he has drawn far too gloomy a picture of the future, and I wish to draw attention to a consideration which does not seem to have been present in his mind, or to have occurred to any of those hitherto dealing with the question as either authors or inventors. Prof. Perry says that “scientific men know of no other store of energy available for man's use than fuel from the earth, except what we may get by the help of the tides or by the wind or waterfalls.” With the exception of the tides, the energy of all these sources is derived ultimately, as is also that of coal itself, from the heat radiated by the sun, and what I wish to point out is that the heat of the sun may be made to furnish power in quite another way—a way, in fact, indicated by Nature herself.