Category Archives: Net Energy Cliff

It takes energy to get energy, so much on the other side of peak oil production that societies must divert more and more energy to getting energy rather than building infrastructure, making things, etc.

David Fridley, LBNL scientist, on why alternative energy won’t save us

Preface.  I’ve sought out David Fridley’s insights since I first met him in the Oakland Peak Oil group that formed in 2004.  That group eventually dissolved, but David’s expertise is still sought out by many of us following energy decline. … Continue reading

Posted in Alternative Energy, An Overview, EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested, Net Energy Cliff | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on David Fridley, LBNL scientist, on why alternative energy won’t save us

Net Energy Cliff Will Lead to Collapse of Civilization

The remaining oil is poor quality, and the energy to get this often remote oil so great that more and more energy (blue) goes into oil production itself, leaving far less — the grey area — available to fuel the … Continue reading

Posted in 2) Collapse, 3) Fast Crash, An Overview, Energy, EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested, Net Energy Cliff, Stages of | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

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

Preface. There are too many factors besides geological depletion to predict a future timeline of collapse. Plus each region will be more or less affected by each factor, sooner or later as well. This is a unique crash – there … Continue reading

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

Gail Tverberg: 2017 The year the world economy starts coming apart

[ Note: In a 2016 post “Overly Simple Energy-Economy Models Give Misleading Answers” Tverberg points out that: “The common lay interpretation of simple models is that running out of energy supplies can be expected to be our overwhelming problem in … Continue reading

Posted in Limits To Growth, Net Energy Cliff | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Failing states, collapsing systems: biophysical triggers of political violence

Preface. In this post I summarize the sections of Nafeez’s book about the biophysical factors that bring nations down (i.e. climate change drought & water scarcity, declining revenues after peak oil, etc.) The Media tend to focus exclusively on economic … Continue reading

Posted in Cascading Failure, Caused by Scarce Resources, Collapse of Civilizations, Collapsed & collapsing nations, Drought & Collapse, Exports decline to ZERO, Food production, Interdependencies, Limits To Growth, Middle East, Net Energy Cliff, Other Experts, Over Oil, Overpopulation, Peak Oil, Violence, War & Violence | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

How much net energy return required to prevent collapse?

Preface. Charles Hall, one of the founders of EROI methodology, initially thought an EROI of 3 was enough to run modern civilization, which is like investing $1 and getting $3 back. But after decades of research, Hall concluded an EROI … Continue reading

Posted in Charles A. S. Hall, EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested, Net Energy Cliff | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on How much net energy return required to prevent collapse?

Implications of declining EROI on oil production 2013 by David J. Murphy

[ To “see” declining EROI and the end of cheap energy, check out these photos of The Tallest structure ever moved by Mankind, a Norwegian natural gas offshore platform ] Murphy, David J. December 2, 2013. The implications of the … Continue reading

Posted in EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested, Net Energy Cliff, Other Experts | 1 Comment

Conservation? Maybe not: Jevon’s Paradox & the Rebound Effect

Conservation? Maybe not: Jevon’s Paradox & the Rebound Effect by Alice Friedemann, October 7, 2014 The rebound effect makes it much more difficult to solve our energy problems, because the full energy savings aren’t realized, and the energy savings can … Continue reading

Posted in Conserve Energy, Dependence on Oil, Net Energy Cliff | Comments Off on Conservation? Maybe not: Jevon’s Paradox & the Rebound Effect

Energy Watch Group: Worldwide Peak Coal & Natural Gas 2020, Peak Oil 2012

SUMMARY: Based on data from all over the world, the Energy Watch Group concludes that 2005 Peak Crude Oil 2012 Peak Crude oil plus unconventional liquids 2019 Peak Natural Gas worldwide 2020 Peak coal 40% decline in oil production by … Continue reading

Posted in ! PEAK EVERYTHING, Net Energy Cliff, Peak Coal, Peak Natural Gas, Peak Oil | Comments Off on Energy Watch Group: Worldwide Peak Coal & Natural Gas 2020, Peak Oil 2012

A financial crash would stop new oil production, sending us over the net energy cliff with a 10% decline rate per year

Gail Tverberg’s March 4, 2014 “Reasons for our Energy Predicament – an overview” gave me this sudden insight: There is the potential for a sudden drop of 10 to 30% in oil production.  That magnitude of world-wide oil shocks would … Continue reading

Posted in Energy Markets, Flow Rate, Net Energy Cliff, Oil Shocks, Threats to oil supply | Comments Off on A financial crash would stop new oil production, sending us over the net energy cliff with a 10% decline rate per year