Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 2.10 Long-run trends in real prices of
rewood, coal and oil in Italy (1700
-
1985 in 1911 ITL
per TOE). Source Malanima (
2006
, pp. 70
-
71)
forest, maquis, etc.).
110
In his overview on world-wide deforestation Michael
Williams suggests that, in Europe, before the coming of the fossil fuel era, timber
and
rewood shortages were more of a local or regional feature than a general one,
and he discards charcoal consumption in industrial uses as a relevant factor.
111
On
the opposite side, Paolo Malanima bears no doubts when he states that
“
from the
mid-eighteenth century onward, while Europe
s population was growing faster,
energy availability was decreasing. The result was a sharp per capita decline in
energy consumption
'
.
112
This included both food intake and fuel wood availability,
”
which seems to
t well with the anthropometric height decrease of Europeans
born between 1770 and 1820.
“
The decline of forest is borne out
—
according to
Malanima
rewood, which was usually faster than
the overall growth of agricultural prices. In Western European cities, between 1700
and 1800,
—
by the quick rise of the price of
.
113
The long-term
rewood prices increased by more than three times
”
evolution in Italian prices of
rewood, compared with prices of coal and oil, clearly
economic growth theory proposed by Bob Ayres and
Benjamin Warr (Fig.
2.10
; see also Fig.
2.2
):
In a nuanced and detailed overview of the wood shortage debate in pre-industrial
Europe, Paul Warde assesses that
ts with the
'
exergetic
'
if the European population in 1500was around half
that in 1800, and if there were general scarcities in 1500, survival could only have
been possible in 1800 as a consequence either of a radical alteration in the domestic
fuel economy, or a greatly increased woodland area or productivity. As there is very
little evidence for any of these things we must be suspicious of any claims for a general
scarcity at any time before the late eighteenth century. Western Europe had a popu-
lation of around 122 millions by 1820, and if annual domestic demand is set at about
three cubic meters per hectare, a coppiced area of 407,700 km
2
would have been
required for a sustainable supply. This approximates to the area of modern Germany
and Switzerland combined, something under a
“
fth of western Europe (excluding
110
Grove and Rackham (
2001
).
111
Williams (
2003
).
112
Malanima (
2006
), pp. 101
121.
113
Malanima (
2006
), pp. 116
-
118.
-
