Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The dark side of coal - some historical insights on energy and the economy

The dark side of coal - some historical insights on energy and the economy: "I have a special emotional relationship with Telemaco Signorini's painting 'The Riverbank.' The area shown in the panting has changed very little from the time when the painting was made - mid 19th century - and, today, I could take you to exactly that place, in Florence, Italy. It is not far from where I was born and raised; it is the area where my family used to live for generations. Everytime I see that painting (and I have seen the original twice, in two different expositions) I can't avoid the sensation that those men, so hard working, could be ancestors of mine."