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seeyf's review
4.0
A very long and comprehensive attempt to depict the transition to a fossil fuel economy — in particular the shift from cotton mills powered by water to coal-powered steam mills in the 1820s-30s, and projections on how the needed transition to a carbon-free future can happen.
A large part of the book focuses on the question of why coal was preferred over the existing mills that were effectively powered by free energy. Malm argues that it was not because coal-powered mills were faster or cheaper at that time, but because their properties allowed for more effective control of labour. For example, it allowed for concentration in large urban centres where labour was abundant and thus bargaining power reduced. Coal-powered mills also enabled capitalist competion, in comparison to having multiple water mills along the same river which would have required coordination between mills upstream and downstream to release or hold the water as needed. Eventually, the need to grow profits beyond what domestic consumption could fulfil led to ever-expanding mills that could no longer be fully powered by water, but the transition to coal happened much earlier before this limit was reached.
Malm connects this history to Marxist theory, where the Money - Commodity - Money' formula is modified with additional stages referring to the primitive accumulation of fossil capital, its consumption and the self-sustaining growth that arises from it. Coal also allows for space and time to be abstracted and controlled by the capitalist — production is no longer dictated by the needs of nature and labour.
Finally, looking at the world today, Malm argues that globalisation has allowed capital to move to much of its production to China to take advantage of its low wages, thus it also has the highest carbon intensity, though other cheaper countries are now taking its place. Thus carbon emissions are tied to the exploitation of labour. On the transition to renewables, Malm mentions the Lauderdale paradox — as the price of renewable energy drops, the prospects for making profit is also reduced and thus the less interest capital will have in producing it. In contrast to a fossil economy, one based on renewable energy may require a change in property relations too, with the state taking over utilities, more comprehensive planning, and greater cooperation needed between states. But this is not happening quickly enough, and in the last chapter Malm suggests that climate change organisers might need bigger actions, such as the Plug Plot riots during the general strike of 1842 where strikers pulled out the plugs of the steam engine boilers, instantly stopping production.
A large part of the book focuses on the question of why coal was preferred over the existing mills that were effectively powered by free energy. Malm argues that it was not because coal-powered mills were faster or cheaper at that time, but because their properties allowed for more effective control of labour. For example, it allowed for concentration in large urban centres where labour was abundant and thus bargaining power reduced. Coal-powered mills also enabled capitalist competion, in comparison to having multiple water mills along the same river which would have required coordination between mills upstream and downstream to release or hold the water as needed. Eventually, the need to grow profits beyond what domestic consumption could fulfil led to ever-expanding mills that could no longer be fully powered by water, but the transition to coal happened much earlier before this limit was reached.
Malm connects this history to Marxist theory, where the Money - Commodity - Money' formula is modified with additional stages referring to the primitive accumulation of fossil capital, its consumption and the self-sustaining growth that arises from it. Coal also allows for space and time to be abstracted and controlled by the capitalist — production is no longer dictated by the needs of nature and labour.
Finally, looking at the world today, Malm argues that globalisation has allowed capital to move to much of its production to China to take advantage of its low wages, thus it also has the highest carbon intensity, though other cheaper countries are now taking its place. Thus carbon emissions are tied to the exploitation of labour. On the transition to renewables, Malm mentions the Lauderdale paradox — as the price of renewable energy drops, the prospects for making profit is also reduced and thus the less interest capital will have in producing it. In contrast to a fossil economy, one based on renewable energy may require a change in property relations too, with the state taking over utilities, more comprehensive planning, and greater cooperation needed between states. But this is not happening quickly enough, and in the last chapter Malm suggests that climate change organisers might need bigger actions, such as the Plug Plot riots during the general strike of 1842 where strikers pulled out the plugs of the steam engine boilers, instantly stopping production.
cstack's review
3.0
It seemed like two books. The first was a really detailed breakdown of when, why and how the steam engine overtook the water wheel. The second book was about global warming and capitalism in the modern era. There are lots of interesting ideas and facts, but he just goes into way too much detail for this to be interesting. I had to skim a lot of it to make it to the end.
hapax_reads's review
challenging
informative
slow-paced
4.25
A very interesting book that fundamentally changed the way I think about the rise of industry and the historical context of movements like the Luddites.
It's super technical and slow, but I would say that's kind of the author's strength. Malm is so methodical in this that he leaves no room for ambiguity in his arguments. If you are thinking of reading this book, I'd say give it a go, and also most of the best and most interesting stuff is in the first half anyway!
It's super technical and slow, but I would say that's kind of the author's strength. Malm is so methodical in this that he leaves no room for ambiguity in his arguments. If you are thinking of reading this book, I'd say give it a go, and also most of the best and most interesting stuff is in the first half anyway!