Tag Archives: agriculture

Neighborhood councils to cope with energy decline

I’m reading “The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity” which is one of the best books I’ve read in years, and a very hopeful one – this 700 page book is full of evidence that agriculture, capitalism, slavery, … Continue reading

Posted in Government on what to do, Life Before Oil, Political Books | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Limits to Growth: Natural gas fertilizer that feeds 4 billion of us

Preface.  In chapter 4 of my book “Life After Fossil Fuels: A Reality Check on Alternative Energy“, I explain how it came to be that fertilizer is made out of natural gas, using the energy of natural gas, and why … Continue reading

Posted in Life After Fossil Fuels, Limits To Growth, Natural Gas, Peak Food, Starvation | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Is there a long emergency plan for peak oil?

  Source: A year on the midieval farm https://www.medievalists.net/2014/06/year-medieval-farm/ Last updated March 2022. Ever since I learned about peak oil in 2000 after reading my grandfather Pettijohn’s memoir (Pettijohn 1984), I’ve wondered what The Plan To Cope with Oil Decline … Continue reading

Posted in An Index of Best Energyskeptic Posts, Energy Policy & Politicians, Farming & Ranching, Government on what to do, Military, guns, Over Oil | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Is there a long emergency plan for peak oil?

Dust Bowls

Preface. As if there weren’t enough to worry about, more Great Dust Bowls may be on the way.  The irony is that some of it will likely be due to planting corn and soybeans to produce biofuels, yet another reason … Continue reading

Posted in Biofuels, Drought & Collapse | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Dust Bowls

The 10 states with the most farms

Preface. Of course there are many considerations: how climate change will affect farming in each state, the cost of the farmland, and other ecological factors discussed in the book by Hall & Day’s “America’s Most Sustainable Cities and Regions: Surviving … Continue reading

Posted in Real Estate | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Reducing pesticides with crop diversity

Preface. Pesticides are the main cause of the insect apocalypse, which reverberates up the food chain, leading to loss of biodiversity and extinction. And pesticides are made out of oil, which probably peaked globally in 2018, and pesticides only last … Continue reading

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, Farming & Ranching, Pesticides | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Reducing pesticides with crop diversity

Water Theft

Preface. As fresh water supplies are depleted worldwide and water crises increase, water theft is becoming more common.  And damage to marine environments as well. It is estimated that between 30% and 50% of the global water supply is stolen … Continue reading

Posted in Food production, Groundwater, Peak Water, Water Pollution | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Water Theft

The Nitrogen Bomb: fossil-fueled fertilizers keep billions of us alive

Preface. There are two articles below that explain why natural gas fertilizers are keeping at least 4 billion of us alive today.  If you’re interested in this topic, here are a few more to read: Erisman JW, Sutton MA, Galloway … Continue reading

Posted in Farming & Ranching, Life After Fossil Fuels, Natural Gas, Overpopulation, Peak Food | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Jason Bradford on reforming the current food system

Preface. Jason Bradford is amazing: He taught ecology for a few years at Washington University in St. Louis, worked for the Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development at the Missouri Botanical Garden, and co-founded the Andes Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research … Continue reading

Posted in Agriculture, Farming & Ranching | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book review of Fruits of Eden: David Fairchild & Americas Plant Hunters

Preface. Botanist David Fairchild is one of the reasons the average grocery store has 39,500 items. Before he came along, most people ate just a few kinds of food day in day out (though that was partly due to a … Continue reading

Posted in Agriculture, Farming & Ranching | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Book review of Fruits of Eden: David Fairchild & Americas Plant Hunters