Despite Calvin’s fear of monsters, humanity has been putting monster theories to rest for centuries. In September of 1522 the remnants of Magellan’s Expedition returned to Europe and let contemporaries know that what lay beyond the horizon was not some monstrous void, but instead a series of oceans and landmasses wrapped around the Earth. As science advanced it became clear that all humans have lungs, a brain, a heart, and the same need to eat, experience joy, and the ability to endure emotional damage. However, while we were obliterating monsters of old, we were also creating new ones: tax laws, credit agencies, and Dr. Pepper. Of all the new monsters that we have created, though, fossil fuels are the worst, but not in the ways that most people imagine.
