Coal State

The Coal Conquest

Anton Howes | Age Of Invention | 4th October 2024

Why did coal become the predominant fuel in industrial Britain? From ironmaking to glassmaking, industry after industry replaced wood with coal in the late 16C. This wasn’t for a dearth of trees. Coal freed up woodland that had to provide fuel, allowing for their conversion to agriculture. “The rise of coal was not caused by deforestation. Deforestation was caused by the arrival of cheap coal” (9,500 word

China’s Sentinel State

Minxin Pei & Dalia Parete | China Media Project | 7th October 2024

Interview about China’s unique surveillance methods. Instead of a large, centralised security apparatus, tasks are decentralised across security agencies. During the pandemic, China used cell phone monitoring and “grid management”, dividing communities into grids to be monitored by an individual. The Party now plans to introduce a cyber ID scheme, hoping to increase self-censorship (1,900 words)