Category Archives: Energy

What can California do about sea level rise?

Posted on February 26, 2018 by

Projected sea level rise from one meter (dark red) to six meters (light orange) in California’s Bay Area. (Weiss and Overpeck 2011) Preface. Nearly all, if not all, possible solutions to rising sea levels along all the coasts in the … Continue reading →

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Transportation: How long can we adapt before we fall off the Net Energy Cliff?

Posted on August 27, 2017 by

[ I first published this in 2014. After re-reading it when damnthematrix republished it recently, I saw corrections and updates that needed to be made, so here is the improved version. Keep in mind that  I am wildly speculating, there … Continue reading →

Posted in Cascading Failure, Electric Grid, Energy, Exponential Growth, Exports decline to ZERO, Infrastructure, Infrastructure, Net Energy Cliff, Transportation, Transportation | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Interdependencies of Energy Infrastructure, Water, and Climate Change GAO 2014

Posted on May 28, 2017 by

[ This report shows the interdependencies of Climate Change and the nation’s energy infrastructure, which is especially vulnerable because it’s so old and falling apart already. Another GAO report discusses the energy-water nexus.  Interdependent systems are more vulnerable – climate … Continue reading →

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National security implications of international energy and climate change policies, Senate hearing

Posted on June 26, 2016 by

[This is an excerpt of a very interesting senate hearing that looks at how war can be caused by climate change (i.e. drought, hunger, rising sea levels) and how climate change will affect infrastructure. The European emissions trading scheme and … Continue reading →

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The Impact of Climate Change on California: 8th Largest Economy, 40% of U.S. Shipping

Posted on May 31, 2014 by

Introduction California’s economy and population relies on one of the most extensive and costly infrastructure systems in the world. This includes thousands of miles of roads, highways and railroads, nearly 200 large water reservoirs of varying capacity, miles of canals, … Continue reading →

Posted in Electricity, Energy, Extreme Weather, Heat, Oil & Gas, Railroads, Sea Level Rise, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Impact of Climate Change on California: 8th Largest Economy, 40% of U.S. Shipping

Oil and Gas infrastructure are falling apart

Posted on July 11, 2013 by

Beneath Cities, a Decaying Tangle of Gas Pipes March 23, 2014. Patrick McGeehan et al. New York Times It is a danger hidden beneath the streets of New York City, unseen and rarely noticed: 6,302 miles of pipes transporting natural … Continue reading →

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Climate change will cause blackouts & brownouts as energy infrastructure brought down

Posted on July 11, 2013 by

11 July 2013. John M. Broder. Climate Change Will Cause More Energy Breakdowns, U.S. Warns. New York Times. The nation’s entire energy system is vulnerable to increasingly severe and costly weather events driven by climate change, according to a report … Continue reading →

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Solar Infrastructure: Materials, Land, and Energy required

Posted on August 7, 2012 by

To replace just one year of world oil use (1 cubic mile) you’d need to mine, fabricate, deliver, and build 91,250,000 Solar panels every year for 50 years (Goldstein). A PV plant that could produce 5.5 TWh of power (what … Continue reading →

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Oil Built Our Infrastructure Back When it was Cheap & Abundant

Posted on August 7, 2012 by

Most of our infrastructure was built many decades ago, when the energy returned on energy invested (EROEI) of oil was 100:1, and now it’s down to roughly 30:1 in the gulf, and much less elsewhere (at 10:1 civilization collapses). What … Continue reading →

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Hurricane Vulnerable Gulf area Supplies Over Half our oil, One-third of our Natural Gas

Posted on August 7, 2012 by

Energy infrastructure is very vulnerable to hurricanes in the gulf region, which: Produce or imports 60% of the country’s supply of crude oil Supplies a third of U.S. natural gas supplies Generates half of the United States refined products supplies … Continue reading →

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