CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN THIS QUOTE??

Question

the one by ralp waldo emerson

"every basket is power and civilization. for coal is a portable climate. it carries the heat of teh tropics to labrador and the polar circle and it is the means of transporting itself whithersoever it is wanted. watt and stephenson whispered in the ear of mankind their secret that a halfounce of coal with draw two tons a mile, and coal carries coal by rail by boat, to make canada as warm as calcutta and withits comfor bring its industrail power."

ten points for best answer

Answer 1

Coal is used as fuel for energy, so it is needed to have a civilized, powerful society like Canada. It is used for heating. It is also used as feul for transportation ever since Watt and Stephenson showed mankind that a steam engine could move two tons of weight a mile powered by only a half ounce of cold. Coal is carried by trains and boats. It is used to heat buildings in Canada, making them as warm as Calcutta, India. The comforts coal creates brings in industrial power to Canada.

Answer 2

Coal is good stuff and helps us do things.

Answer 3

google the speaker :)

Answer 4

At least spell the man's name and quote him correctly.  

Answer 5

That seems more like a story than a quote.

Answer 6

It's a glorification of coal, without it's attendant environmental risk factors, & the dangerous work to extract it.  

It would seem the statement originated at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, as that was what most people like Ralph Waldo were familiar with.  The reason why coal seemed to be the solution, was that your other alternatives at the time were harder to find, or didn't offer the BTUs of coal.  Those would be whale oil, peat, wood, & buffalo chips.  

Coal quickly gained favor to power steam engines on ships, trains, & in factories as it was abundant & cost efficient, produced the necessary BTUs, & as the quote states could easily be transported.  

Coal also was an excellent heat source for homes > though,  a hot spark up the flue, could fall on your shingles & ignite them.  And you always had to monitor the boiler pressure & stoke (feed) the fire.

Answer 7

coal is amazing... he is here stating that coal is able to bring warmth and heat and energy to northern climes and previously unaccesible places.. coal is expanding the inhabitable world, while at the same time moving itself by powering the trains.. coal moves coal to power things lol

Answer 8

dude, i didnt get any of it. too many typos and stuff.