November
27
/ 2023
In ancient Rome, the burgeoning glass industry cast a literal shadow over the city. The demand for vast quantities of firewood to fuel glass ovens resulted in a pervasive haze known locally as "heavy skies” or caeli gravis for the overcast sky. Eventually, the emperor took action, expelling glass blowers from the capital. However, this move came at a cost; the once-abundant forests surrounding Rome had already dwindled. A pivotal shift was on the horizon as coal emerged as a new source of fuel. Coal, formed through the slow decomposition of organic matter over millions of years, initially found its use in China around 5,000 years ago before spreading globally for domestic and industrial purposes. Despite the dirty byproducts of
