Author Archives: energyskeptic

Energy in the Food System uses 19% of all energy consumed in the USA. Pimentel 2008

Posted on April 4, 2014 by

Preface.  There are many ways to calculate how much energy is used in the food system  This first paper estimates 19%, the paper below 14%. It all depends on how much you include, and whether it is just the farm … Continue reading →

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Articles about the Stages of Collapse

Posted on April 4, 2014 by

Complexity, Problem Solving, and Sustainable Societies 1996. Joseph A. Tainter from GETTING DOWN TO EARTH: Practical Applications of Ecological Economics, Island Press, 1996; ISBN 1-55963-503-7 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1559635037 OVERVIEW   Historical knowledge is essential to practical applications of ecological economics. Systems of problem … Continue reading →

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What is “our” oil doing in their economy? — Saudi oil consumption trends

Posted on April 4, 2014 by

What is “our” oil doing in their economy? — Saudi oil consumption trends April 8, 2011. Jonathan Callahan Oil importing nations have long treated Saudi Arabia as an infinitely deep well of crude oil supplies. In 2005, Matt Simmon’s book … Continue reading →

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Grow Nut Trees in your backyard

Posted on April 4, 2014 by

Woody Agriculture – On the Road to a New Paradigm July 27, 2012.  Philip A. Rutter et. al. [snipped and some paraphrasing – do read the whole long article at the link above if you are interested in planting nut … Continue reading →

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Oil Reserve Estimates are WAY too high

Posted on April 3, 2014 by

Old Math Casts Doubt on Accuracy of Oil Reserve Estimates Asjylyn Loder. april 3, 2014. Bloomberg News Jan Arps is the most influential oilman you’ve never heard of. In 1945, Arps, then a 33-year-old petroleum engineer for British-American Oil Producing … Continue reading →

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Charles Hall on EROEI

Posted on April 1, 2014 by

[ For a full understanding of EROI, which Hall invented in 1973 as a way of evaluating which energy resources could best replace fossil fuels, see Hall’s latest book: Hall, Charles A.S. 2017. Energy Return on Investment: A Unifying Principle … Continue reading →

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Economics 101: Liquidity is a Loan, Why prices can go UP in a Deflation, do not buy Gold, and Much More

Posted on March 29, 2014 by

December 29, 2007. Karl Denninger. The Year In Review And a Look Ahead for 2008. market-ticker [I’ve snipped out a lot of this article, which is no longer available on the internet.  It was very prescient, and even though some … Continue reading →

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Why Deleveraging is so painful

Posted on March 29, 2014 by

Why a recovery is at least 7 years away: Economy Falling Years Behind Full Speed 6 Apr 2009. Louis Uchitelle. New York Times. As the recession grinds on, more and more of the nation’s means of production — its workers, … Continue reading →

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Bonuses and salaries way too high at Banks, Wall Street, Corporations

Posted on March 28, 2014 by

The “Paid-What-You’re-Worth” Myth March 13, 2014. Robert Reich. New York Times and robertreich.org It’s often assumed that people are paid what they’re worth. According to this logic, minimum wage workers aren’t worth more than the $7.25 an hour they now … Continue reading →

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FDIC Sues 16 Banks for Fraud by Manipulating Global Interest Rate

Posted on March 28, 2014 by

FDIC sues 16 Banks for rigging the Libor Rate March 2014. New York Times. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) sued 16 banks for fraud because they conspired to set a crucial global interest rate low to enrich themselves.   … Continue reading →

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