Coal was one of two available and abundant energy sources for most of the past 200 years (the other being oil). Without coal humanity's development could not h

Coal was one of two available and abundant energy sources for most of the past 200 years (the other being oil). Without coal humanity's development could not have accelerated as quickly as it has in the past few generations. Without energy, you don't have an economy and without an economy, you don't get the amazing advances in medicine, technology and standards of living that we've seen in the 20th century. The Prime Minister wasn't necessarily wrong.