Monthly Archives: October 2018

Why tar sands, a toxic ecosystem-destroying asphalt, can’t fill in for declining conventional oil

This is a book review of Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent by Andrew Nikiforuk. Many “energy experts” have said that a Manhattan tar sands project could prevent oil decline in the future.   But that’s not … Continue reading

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Toxic textiles: the lethal history of Rayon

Preface. This is a book review from Science magazine of Paul David Blanc’s 2016 book “Fake Silk The Lethal History of Viscose Rayon”, Yale University Press.  I’ve shortened the review and changed some of the text. This book exposes how … Continue reading

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Invasive insects

Preface.  Below is a by no means exhaustive list of insect scourges, just the ones I happen to run across.  Whoever is still around after collapse will sure be hard pressed to survive — unless they add insects to their … Continue reading

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Book: John Perlin’s “A Forest Journey: The Story of Wood and Civilization”

Preface.  This contains excerpts from John Perlin’s “A Forest Journey: The Story of Wood and Civilization”. It’s one of my favorite books about natural resources, exploring the role wood has played in the rise and fall of civilizations since they … Continue reading

Posted in Collapse of Civilizations, Collapsed & collapsing nations, Deforestation, Life Before Oil, Limits To Growth, Peak Resources, Soil, Wood | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Part 6 Raven Rock. Alarming quotes from leaders

Preface. This is the 6th part of my book review of: Graff, G.M. 2018. Raven Rock. The Story of the U.S. Governments Secret Plan to Save Itself–While the Rest of Us Die. Simon and Schuster. These are some of the … Continue reading

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Part 5 Raven Rock. Hidey holes for government and military officials to carry on democracy after nuclear war destroys the planet

Preface. This is the fifth part of my book review of: Graff, G.M. 2018. Raven Rock. The Story of the U.S. Governments Secret Plan to Save Itself–While the Rest of Us Die. Simon and Schuster.  There are so many doomsday … Continue reading

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Part 4 Raven Rock. The government abandons plans to aid the public, only the government to survive

Preface. This is the fourth  part of my book review of: Graff, G.M. 2018. Raven Rock. The Story of the U.S. Governments Secret Plan to Save Itself–While the Rest of Us Die. Simon and Schuster.  Clearly if the U.S. government … Continue reading

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Part 3 Raven Rock. The government’s plans for after a nuclear holocaust

This is the third part of my book review of: Graff, G.M. 2018. Raven Rock. The Story of the U.S. Governments Secret Plan to Save Itself–While the Rest of Us Die. Simon and Schuster. This book stresses that a full … Continue reading

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Part 2 Raven Rock. The U.S. government’s plans to save civilians from nuclear war

Graff, G.M. 2018. Raven Rock. The Story of the U.S. Governments Secret Plan to Save Itself–While the Rest of Us Die. At the outset of the cold war, scientists proposed that nationalism had to go away to prevent nuclear wars, … Continue reading

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