Author Archives: energyskeptic

The Passengers are killing the crew of Spaceship Earth

What follows was written by Captain Paul Watson, who helped found Greenpeace in 1972 and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in1977.  His books include: Sea Shepherd: My fight for Whales and Seals, Cry Wolf, Ocean Warrior, Earth Force, and Seal … Continue reading

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Richard Heinberg and Post Carbon

December 2013 During the past decade Post Carbon Institute’s influence has grown markedly, thanks in no small part to all our supporters and allies. And we’re proud of the impressive list of accomplishments we’ve racked up (see this) in that … Continue reading

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Dave Foreman: More Immigration = More Americans = Less Wilderness

Dave Foreman. 2013. More Immigration = More Americans = Less Wilderness. Earth island Journal. The Big Thing facing Earth today – dwarfing all else – is the mass extinction of animals and plants unprecedented in size and scope for 65 … Continue reading

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Read Chagnon’s “Noble Savages” instead – “Falling Sky” is co-written by one of his attackers

A book review by Alice Friedemann at energyskeptic of “The Falling Sky: Words of a Yanomami Shaman” by Davi Kopenawa and Bruce Albert. Anyone who knows about the baseless, hateful attacks on Chagnon by Tierney and other cultural anthropologists like … Continue reading

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Aaron Lehmer-Chang in Earth Island Journal

Environmental groups, pundits, politicians, and the average citizen think alternative energy is a solution to climate change and the energy crisis.  It took me years to figure out why this wasn’t true.  I can speed your learning curve up — … Continue reading

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The “Solar Revolution” is financial, not from new breakthroughs

Jeff Himmelman makes the case that the “solar revolution” is caused by new financial instruments and strategies in the New York Times August 9, 2012 article “Here Comes the Sell”: The innovation that has pushed Sungevity and the rest of … Continue reading

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Pesticides & Parkinson’s in California’s Central Valley

Horowitz, J. 2012. Parkinson’s Alley.  Recent studies have found statistical links between pesticide use and an outbreak of Parkinson’s disease in California farm towns. Researchers even know which chemicals are the likely culprits. What’s the government doing about it? Not … Continue reading

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New York Times review of “Countdown” by Alan Weisman

A book review by Nathaniel Rich, October 11, 2013, New York Times of: COUNTDOWN. Our Last, Best Hope for a Future on Earth? By Alan Weisman If we wanted to bring about the extinction of the human race as quickly … Continue reading

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Algal blooms more toxic due to climate change and crop fertilizer runoff

Paerl, H.W. et al. October 25, 2013. Blooms Bite the Hand That Feeds Them. Science Vol. 342 no. 6157 pp. 433-434  Eutrophication from climate change, dams, higher carbon dioxide concentrations, drought, and nutrients from farm and urban runoff is increasing … Continue reading

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US Department of Energy 1980 oil rationing plan

Preface. This plan was written after the two energy crises in the 1970s, but never enacted. Republicans voted it down in Congress. Perhaps the Republican plan is to ration by wealth. But how well would that work? Chaos and looting … Continue reading

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