Have you heard about the Collier Problem? "A collier problem occurs whenever a new technology requires the technology it nominally replaces to function due to efficiency limits. The collier problem is normally associated with energy supply requirements, but can be applied to other situations." Fascinating problem and also a fascinating background, how windjammers (ships only using sails for propulsion) were vital to keeping steamships in operation on mid- and long distance routes, lasting until the introduction of diesel powered ships after the Great War. Maritime and global technology history. 

The Collier Problem: Toward a Definition and Application | Published in Mainsheet
By Steven Woods. In an earlier energy transition, wind-powered collier ships supplied coal to power steamships. The author explores that history an...



