Category Archives: Peak Coal

Why liquefied coal (CTL) and natural gas (GTL) can’t replace oil

Preface. Here are just a few of the reasons why we aren’t likely to convert enough coal to diesel to matter as oil decines (see Chapter 11 Liquefied Coal: There Goes the Neighborhood, the Water, and the Air for more … Continue reading

Posted in Coal to Liquids (CTL), GTL Gas-To-Liquids, Peak Coal, Peak Oil | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Why liquefied coal (CTL) and natural gas (GTL) can’t replace oil

Peak Fossil Fuels: overview of world peak oil, peak coal, & peak natural gas

Last updated 2022-6-24 Preface. Below are overviews of peak oil, coal, and natural gas, each followed by additional reading material from my book “When Trucks Stop Running: Energy and the Future of Transportation”, which explains why we are unlikely to … Continue reading

Posted in Coal, How Much Left, Natural Gas, Peak Coal, Peak Natural Gas, Peak Oil | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

USGS: Half of U.S. Coal runs out in 35 years, not 250

Preface. The USGS did a survey of coal in the U.S. in 1974 and announced that America had 250 years of coal left.  In 2007, the National Research Council wrote a report suggesting 100 years was more likely due to … Continue reading

Posted in Coal, Peak Coal | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on USGS: Half of U.S. Coal runs out in 35 years, not 250

Peak Oil, Coal and Natural gas in China

Preface. Below are excerpts from 2 articles.  You may want to read Tverberg’s article here since I left out the charts and included just a few excerpts. Some key points: The world needs growing energy supply to support the world … Continue reading

Posted in EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested, Peak Coal, Peak Natural Gas, Peak Oil | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Peak Oil, Coal and Natural gas in China

Peak Carbon

[ This is from the Seneca Effect written by somebody in the Netherlands, wish I knew who, he or she is quite brilliant. Alice Friedemann   www.energyskeptic.com  author of “When Trucks Stop Running: Energy and the Future of Transportation”, 2015, Springer … Continue reading

Posted in Peak Coal, Peak Oil | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Minerals and War from Ugo Bardi’s “Extracted”

Preface. This is an extract from Ugo Bardi’s book “Extracted”.  He makes the case that once we were able to forge metal weapons was when predatory nations began to invade one another to gain resources like coal to make more … Continue reading

Posted in Mining, Peak Coal, Peak Critical Elements, Peak Oil, Peak Precious Elements, Ugo Bardi, War | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Minerals and War from Ugo Bardi’s “Extracted”

Minerals: Coal from Ugo Bardi’s “Extracted”

Preface. This is just a small sampling of what Bardi thinks might happen post fossil fuels, mostly shortened and reworded. Here are 7 other posts from this great book: Mining: Waste, Pollution, Destruction Ugo Bardi predictions of the future Minerals … Continue reading

Posted in Coal, Peak Coal, Ugo Bardi | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Minerals: Coal from Ugo Bardi’s “Extracted”

Gail Tverberg: Why peak coal, oil, and natural gas will all happen at the same time

China: Is peak coal part of its problem? by Gail Tverberg,  OurFiniteWorld.com  | Jun 20, 2016 The world’s coal resources are clearly huge. How could China, or the world in total, reach peak coal in a timeframe that makes a … Continue reading

Posted in China, Gail Tverberg, Peak Coal, Peak Natural Gas, Peak Oil | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Gail Tverberg: Why peak coal, oil, and natural gas will all happen at the same time

Peak coal 2013-2045 — most likely 2025-2030

Preface.  The amount of coal reserves is far less than what the IPCC has assumed in their models, where they used RESOURCES, which is coal that can’t be economically and/or technologically obtained.  Typical economists, they assume humans are so smart … Continue reading

Posted in Coal, Peak Coal | Tagged | Comments Off on Peak coal 2013-2045 — most likely 2025-2030

Scientific American: Peak oil and coal may keep catastrophic climate change in check

[ Since conventional oil, 90% of supply, peaked in 2005-6 we’ve been on a plateau.  Since the rate of conventional oil decline exponentially decreasing, and population is still exponentially increasing, it is unlikely unconventional oil like shale “fracked” oil, tar … Continue reading

Posted in But not from climate change: Peak Fossil Fuels, Peak Coal, Peak Oil | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Scientific American: Peak oil and coal may keep catastrophic climate change in check