A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things

Patel and Moore examine the complex history and far-reaching consequences of “cheap energy” under capitalism, focusing on key resources such as wood, peat, coal, and oil. They contend that the pursuit of cheap energy has been a driving force behind capitalism’s development and that this has necessitated the enclosure and exploitation of the commons, both in human societies and in the natural world. The authors illustrate this point by discussing the deforestation that occurred in places like Madeira and China, where the demand for cheap energy led to the rapid destruction of forests and the transformation of wood into a commodity.

Patel and Moore then turn their attention to the Netherlands in the 15th-17th centuries, where the Dutch used peat as a cheap energy source. They argue that the Dutch Golden Age was made possible by a combination of factors, including cheap grain imported from Poland and an “energy revolution” that involved the large-scale extraction of peat, the use of wind power, and the importation of timber from the Baltic region. However, the authors also point out that this reliance on peat had significant ecological consequences, such as the sinking of land and increased flooding, which forced the Dutch to invest heavily in infrastructure like dikes and canals.