This is why the real magic of fossil fuels isn't the energy they contain, but their energy density. An efficient, large scale global economy is only possible w

This is why the real magic of fossil fuels isn't the energy they contain, but their energy density. An efficient, large scale global economy is only possible with incredibly high energy density (and easy to transport and convert into usage energy) energy sources. And, to your point, even global food supply is ultimately an issue of transporting energy from the sun to human bodies largely in the form of plant based carbohydrates. Human's ability to expand around the globe is predicated on the ability to transport the caloric requirements efficiently.