We are burning more coal than at any point in human history — more than during the Industrial Revolution, and more than during the global energy crisis of the 1970s.

Global coal demand likely rose by 0.5% last year to a record 8.85 billion tonnes, according to the International Energy Agency, driven largely by China.

This is happening despite the rapid reduction in the cost of solar panels, wind turbines, and lithium-ion batteries.

So why can’t the world quit coal?

Lucy Shaw, who writes the ⁠Slow Burn substack newsletter⁠, digs into this contradiction in this episode.