Comments for Peak Energy & Resources, Climate Change, and the Preservation of Knowledge

Comment on Renewable Energy can’t supply more than 30% of electricity without revolutionary battery breakthrough by Bill chaffee

Bill chaffee — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:13:38 +0000

More efficient and economical energy storage would also help base load power generators. If surplus power generatored by base load plants at night was stored and then released in response to demand then there would be less need for peaking plants. The potential energy density of fly wheels is limited by the strength of materials. Doubling the speed of fly wheels quadruples the energy density and stress. Conversion loses limit efficiency. Renewable energy is banned by the second law of thermodynamics

Comment on Why we might not go extinct by Jan Lundberg

Jan Lundberg — Sun, 05 May 2013 23:46:59 +0000

Alice, well presented. Keep up the good work. We have re-posted your review “How shipping containers shortened the life span of petro-civilization” on http://www.SailTransportNetwork.org. I just noticed that one of your references in another article on Culture Change, at http://www.culturechange.org/cms/content/view/152/1/ , has a broken link to Project Censored for the Hirsch Report. Funny if it has been censored.

Comment on Republicans Brains are Wired to Deny Science & Reality by Gunter Pfaff

Gunter Pfaff — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 17:51:59 +0000

So – to “lean forward” – if we are becoming more afraid of change and unable to change – it might be nature’s way of assuring species extinction.

Comment on Republicans Brains are Wired to Deny Science & Reality by Gunter Pfaff

Gunter Pfaff — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 14:32:32 +0000

“It seems to me that a society of conservative minds would be the normal one” – I wonder about that. Was there not an earlier time before the tribes started bumping into each other where the “liberal” mind was developed in adapting to ever changing problems of survival and openness and flexibility was key ? Might it be that then we had more “liberal” minds and with our increasing numbers and problems the “conservative” mind is coming to the fore because big numbers make things slower to change and the need for control and order more important.

Comment on Republicans Brains are Wired to Deny Science & Reality by Gretchen Cruden

Gretchen Cruden — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 18:08:50 +0000

Interesting thoughts for certain in your piece. The most shocking for me (as a teacher in today’s world) was the thought that your teacher asked students who their parents were voting for. Wow-times have changed. Sadly, we could not even watch President Obama’s first inaugural speech without serious backlash from the community. What a moment in history that slipped past because of parents calling the school prior to the event to let us know they would pull their child if this was viewed. Also, an insight into how conservative minds do NOT want to be exposed to change either.

Comment on Here We Are At the Edge of the Energy Cliff by Mark N

Mark N — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:14:01 +0000

I found your blog via your comment on The Oil Drum. I could not agree more with your analysis. I was initially surprised to see how many people on the Oil Drum feel that electric cars or conservation of oil will mean a stable future.

I just do not think they understand the natural aging process of civilizations due to entropy as well as the fact that civilizations draw on natural resources like a virus. Civilizations that are out of balance with nature are naturally unstable; add in the massive overshoot from fossil fuel use and it is clear there is no chance for industrial civilization. Human ingenuity has just replaced “the gods” and economist the “high priest” of ancient civilizations.

I agree that these are amazing times to be alive in. I just hope collapse comes sooner rather than later; everyday more of our mother nature is sacrificed in a pointless exercise in hubris. The end of the oil age will be dirty, violent and highly destructive. The low hanging fruit is gone and now industrial society endeavors to hack down the tree.

The economic and financial systems are running on fumes and inertia. The plateau of crude oil has destroyed the growth based system needed for industrial civilization. Endless easing from the central banks is the new reality. Just wait until crude oil begins to decline; the whole thing will go up in flames.

I like the Titanic metaphor best as it reflects the appropriate level of hubris. Water is pouring in yet the band plays on. The fact that the lights flickered and the ship listed (2008 crisis) seems only to prove that the ship will not sink to the few passengers who noticed. I meanwhile am moving to the lifeboats while no one is watching.

By lifeboat I mean the most remote wilderness area one can find. I am spending the rest of the stable days left trying to learn skills of hunter gathers. Even if it is in vain the connection to the earth is the best thing I have found. Glad to have found your blog; I will be reading regularly.

Cheers

Comment on Here We Are At the Edge of the Energy Cliff by Tiky

Tiky — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 00:53:47 +0000

It’s a nice positive spin on staring doomsday in the face. I guess it’s better then the alternative. We could all do with appreciating what we have while we still have it.

Comment on Lessons Learned from How Cuba Survived Peak Oil by Tiky

Tiky — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:33:14 +0000

It’s a big failure of democracy. No one is worrying about the long-term, cause voters mostly don’t worry about the long-term. We shouldn’t start planning now, we should’ve started ten years ago!

Comment on Net Energy Cliff Will Lead to Collapse of Civilization by 2030 by Tiky

Tiky — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:08:07 +0000

“I can imagine the future all too well, but it is so hard to believe it.”

This basically sums up my feelings about everything related to Peak Oil. I know the calculations check out, I just can’t accept it as a coming reality.

Comment on Why is modern concrete falling apart? by Jan Steinman

Jan Steinman — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 01:57:02 +0000

It would be interesting to see natural building materials — cob, straw bale, light clay, etc. — compared to brick and concrete.

Some cob-and-thatch houses in England have been continuously occupied for 500 years. Of course, that implies they had maintenance, which is the point, no?