Author Archives: energyskeptic

The Big 5 Personality Traits – psychobabble or science?

Posted on April 14, 2013 by

Alice Friedemann’s review of : Daniel Nettle.  2008.  “Personality, What makes you the way you are”.  Oxford University Press. Scientists have considered psychology to be a very soft science at best and quackery or psychobabble at worst.  But psychology is … Continue reading →

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Renewable Energy can’t supply more than 30% of electricity without revolutionary battery breakthrough

Posted on April 13, 2013 by

Wind and solar are too intermittent to comprise much of electric grid power now, according to Steven Chu, former US energy secretary.  In 2010, Chu said, “Without technological breakthroughs in efficient, large-scale energy storage, it will be difficult to rely … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Batteries | 1 Comment

Noam Chomsky: If Nuclear War Doesn’t Get Us, Climate Change Will

Posted on March 31, 2013 by

The growing threats of nuclear war and environmental catastrophe make it hard to bet on the survival of our species. Watch the video at: http://www.thenation.com/video/173205/noam-chomsky-if-nuclear-war-doesnt-get-us-climate-change-will#  

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Financial Monsters — Bigger Crashes than 2008 are yet to come

Posted on March 31, 2013 by

by Alice Friedemann   October 12, 2007 The monsters are still there. Sure, quantitative easing fed them enough money to keep them away for a while, but cheap money can’t be doled out to bankrupt banksters and Wall Street forever.  Meanwhile … Continue reading →

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We are over the edge of the Energy Cliff

Posted on March 29, 2013 by

Figure 1. Conventional Oil Production vs. Conventional Oil Discoveries. NOTE:  These conventional oil reserves DO NOT include Heavy oil or Oil Sands. Preface.  I don’t know who wrote what follows, I was on the end of a chain of many forwarded … Continue reading →

Posted in Peak Oil | Tagged , | 1 Comment

A Huge Solar Plant Opens, Facing Doubts About Its Future

Posted on March 23, 2013 by

A Huge Solar Plant Opens, Facing Doubts About Its Future By DIANE CARDWELL and MATTHEW L. WALD FEB. 13, 2014.  New York Times. The Ivanpah solar power plant: Cost $2.2 billion dollars to build Can energize 140,000 homes ($15,714 per … Continue reading →

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Oakland Depletion Protocol

Posted on March 18, 2013 by

Oakland, California:  Local Depletion Protocol By Alice Friedemann Latest revision February 21, 2006 Note: I’ve been adding to this as time permits since April 2005, as I read about the history of agriculture, transportation, etc.  This was first posted July … Continue reading →

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Oil Production Fueled Population Growth and Food Production

Posted on March 15, 2013 by

As oil exponentially declines, so will population and food. 1994. Elaine M. Murphy. World Population: Toward the Next Century, © 1994 by the Population Reference Bureau, 1875 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 520, Washington, DC, 20009. Property of Population Reference Bureau, … Continue reading →

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Oil Statistics

Posted on March 15, 2013 by

Source: 6 Aug 2012. Lou Gagliardi. Energy Stock for the Short Term. Cabot Wealth Advisory. Major oilfields in decline  Around 70,000 oil fields are currently in production, according to the UK’s Industry Taskforce on Peak Oil and Energy Security (ITPOES). … Continue reading →

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Humanity will need 27 planet Earths by 2050, a new study estimates.

Posted on March 13, 2013 by

Stephen Leahy. 3 Aug 2011.  Data Shows All of Earth’s Systems in Rapid Decline. Inter Press Service. Overpopulation is causing huge losses in biodiversity, and ‘protected areas’ such as national parks aren’t working. UXBRIDGE, Canada, Jul 29 (IPS) – Protecting … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity, Overpopulation | Tagged , | Comments Off on Humanity will need 27 planet Earths by 2050, a new study estimates.