Author Archives: energyskeptic

Joseph Romm: we’re stealing from the next 100 billion people to walk the earth

Posted on April 17, 2023 by

Source: Lu (2021) Visualized: The Biggest Ponzi Schemes in Modern History. Visual Capitalist Preface. Joseph Romm writes that the exponential growth Ponzi Scheme is consuming the resources of the next 100 billion people. Our children and grandchildren.  And I’d guess … Continue reading →

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Prime movers of human evolution

Posted on April 10, 2023 by

Preface. The human brain and culture evolved at an astonishing rate, making scientists wonder what conditions and ecological pressures drove it, why we became homo sapiens so quickly. This is a post that will grow over time as I find … Continue reading →

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Review of Lights out: the electricity crisis, the global economy, and what it means to you

Posted on April 3, 2023 by

Preface. My books and energyskeptic.com explain why the electric grid can’t stay up.  This is a book review of Makansi’s “Lights out: the electricity crisis, the global economy, and what it means to you”. He explains why the grid is … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Blackouts Electric Grid, Books, Electric Grid, Electricity Infrastructure, Energy Books | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Delay, Deny, Defend: Why insurance companies don’t pay claims

Posted on March 25, 2023 by

This is a post about disaster insurance, and our own nightmare experience in dealing with the insurance company after our house burned down in the 1991 Oakland California firestorm.  Plus a book review of Feinman’s 2010 book “Delay, Deny, Defend: … Continue reading →

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California Governor Newsom goes furthest to soften collapse of any U.S. state

Posted on March 19, 2023 by

Preface. In September 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom passed 12 bills making abortion easier to obtain, and invites women from states where abortion is forbidden to come here.

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Collapse of Mayan civilization: drought, mercury poisoning, toxic algae

Posted on March 12, 2023 by

Preface. Drought is probably reason #1, but collapse is complex, I’ve seen lists of over 200 reasons for the Fall of the Roman Empire, and our own fall will have even more causes, though triggered by energy decline, since for … Continue reading →

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Deforestation in the news

Posted on March 5, 2023 by

Preface. I wrote in “Life after fossil fuels” that as energy declined, it would be hard to cut down distant forests with limited oil supplies.  I thought this because even in Britain, so denuded of trees people turned to filthy … Continue reading →

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Review of “Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads”

Posted on February 26, 2023 by

Preface.  This is a book review of Rundell’s “Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads”. If this book is right, things have gotten a lot better in Saudi Arabia than when my other review on Saudi Arabia was written … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East, Peak Oil, Peak Resources, Threats to oil supply | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Human sprawl and wildlife destruction: a book review of “Nature Wars”

Posted on February 13, 2023 by

Preface.  This is a book review of Sterba’s “Nature Wars” and our interaction with wildlife as our insanely huge population growth wipes out nature.

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Can we grow enough food postcarbon? Irrigation needs water & electricity

Posted on February 6, 2023 by

Preface. Irrigated agriculture over 58 million acres consumes the largest share of U.S. water. And it’s shrinking as aquifers are drained, reservoirs evaporate, and drought reduces snowpack and rainfall at the same time population and the economy are growing. My … Continue reading →

Posted in Interdependencies, Where to Be or Not to Be | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment