Much of human history has been a struggle for food, shelter, and survival in the face of nature's harshness. Three major events or turning points have been the use of fire, the development of agriculture, and the invention of tools and machines. Each of these advances has brought benefits to humans but often at the cost of environmental degradation. Agriculture, for instance, increased food supplies but also caused soil erosion, population explosions, and support of sedentary living and urban life. It was the Industrial Revolution that gave humankind the greater power to conquer and devastate our environment. Jacob Bronowski called it an energy revolution, with power as the prime goal. As he noted, it is an ongoing revolution, with the fate of literally billions of people hanging on the outcome.

The Industrial Revolution, with its initial dependence on the steam engine, iron works, and heavy use...