Tlic statcnicnt is oftcii mndc that tlic combustion of rnw conl or petroleum in n firc-bos for tlic production of hent and the generation of power is wnsting the heritngc of mankind. Jlrontlly spciiking, t,liis is truc. Sonic months ago Prof. 11. A. lllillik~in gnvc the Society of Chcinicnl Indristry n most lucid esposit,ioii of tlic nvailnbility of cncrgy, nnd tlrcw thc conclusion tlint from solar cncrgy had bccn tlcrivcd our rcsoiirccs of inincriil fucls i t l i d tlint to solrir cncrgy nlonc, in one form or nnothcr, iiiust, we look for liciit and p o n ~ ns t,lic devclopmcnt of civilisnt,ion goe3 on. Scicntists and cnginccrs nntl, to 11 niucli sinnllcr extciit., hymen rcnlisc that the rntc of t rcinsforniation of solnr eiicrgy into solitl nnd liquid fuels stored in tlic earth-11 process constiurtly t.nking place-is 197 no inenns ns jircnt 81s the rntc iit ~vliicli we :ire iisiiig up tlint encrgy.
Tlic lnyiiiiin I c n n ~s tlilrt, n t t,llc prcscnt rnte of consumption, wc linvc sufficient conl rcscrvcs t o last :ipprosinintely .1000 ycilrs, nntl lie rcfuscs to lmonic cscited ovcr t,hc ncccssity for conserving conl.
Tlie sricntist and cnginccr, on tlic ot,licr liiintl, thosc whoin I)r. Littlc lins so cloqucntly tcrincd '' the Piftli Estnto," know \veil that tlic rntc of iisc of our stored encrgy, pnrticiilnrly of thc Iiiglicr grulc fuels, is so grcnt tlint the ethics of civilisnt ioii clcmand thnt wc \vorli intcnsivcly to wistc its little of the nnturnl lieritngc of this :itid future gcncrntions ns possil~lc.
It is now frilly rcnlisctl t.lint t.lic outstanding position of thc United Stntes 11s nil indust,rial nntion is due largcly to t.hc cnor~iioiis iisc of power by its indust.ries, and Clint t,liis usc of power miiy Iw t,rnccd to t h :~buntlaiicc o f niiiierill fucls found inside its bortlcrs. Ovcr 900/, o f this p o w r is relcnsctl nntl nintlc nrniliiblc througli t,lic wries of clicniicril processes which we call combust ion.
Prcdoiiiinriiit nniong tliosc fnctors tlint Iiiivc inntlc t lie Unitctl Stntcs so prc-cinincntly intlnst,ricil is tlic con3trint striving to incrciisc the cllicicncy of all of our proccsscs. Por csniii1dc, wc linvc secn the qiuintity of f~icl rcqiiirctl pcr unit of clcctricnl power gt!iicrntctl in coiitrnl stntions drop in tlic lnst doacn yciirs to litr lenst