It was a little thing called the Industrial Revolution and the rise of automation that it enabled. That was all sparked by the use of coal as an energy source,

It was a little thing called the Industrial Revolution and the rise of automation that it enabled. That was all sparked by the use of coal as an energy source, and later oil. Without coal and oil, we would all be toiling away on primitive farms still, having ten children and losing four of them before the age ofe 3.