Author Archives: energyskeptic

Solar panels in the Sahara could cause global warming

Posted on December 23, 2021 by

Preface. Adding tens of thousands of square miles of solar panels to replace fossil fuels could cause climate change and heat up the planet. Of course this is a fantasy, dust storms would scour the panels rendering them useless, with … Continue reading →

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Freshwater fish under threat of extinction

Posted on December 20, 2021 by

Preface. A third of freshwater fish are under threat from pollution, over fishing, dams, non-native species, climate change, disruption of river ecology and more.  Alice Friedemann  www.energyskeptic.com  Author of Life After Fossil Fuels: A Reality Check on Alternative Energy; When … Continue reading →

Posted in Extinction, Fisheries | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Create a free food forest

Posted on December 17, 2021 by

Preface. Atlanta has planted 7 acres of land with edible and medicinal plants. Why can’t your city do the same? More than 70 other cities have. All towns have emergency plans. And after a natural disaster or oil shortage, when … Continue reading →

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Will Artificial Intelligence destroy us?

Posted on December 14, 2021 by

Preface. When it comes to artificial intelligence, most articles assume it will happen, so discussions range around when and how it will happen. Often speculation that a general AI may use its ability to find patterns in data will allow … Continue reading →

Posted in An Index of Best Energyskeptic Posts, Artificial Intelligence, Electric Grid, Electric Grid & Fast Collapse | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bill Gates on why Electric Airplanes won’t fly

Posted on December 11, 2021 by

Preface. I wonder if Bill Gates has read my book “When Trucks Stop Running”? As he says in the article below: “The renaissance of electrification that we’re seeing in passenger vehicles unfortunately won’t likely adapted to heavier forms of transportation … Continue reading →

Posted in Airplanes, Batteries | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review “The Outlawed Ocean” by Ian Urbina

Posted on December 8, 2021 by

Note: Peak fish happened in 1996 at 130 million tonnes a year. Pauly D, Zeller D (2016) Catch reconstructions reveal that global marine fisheries catches are higher than reported and declining. Nature communications. Preface. This is a book review of … Continue reading →

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The latest monster ships could be a disaster

Posted on December 1, 2021 by

Preface.  The article below makes the case for the hazards of one of these enormous ships running aground or sinking, blocking a major shipping line, leaking oil, and possibly impossible to salvage. In 2020, the largest container ship is the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ships and Barges | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Concentrated Solar Power is unreliable, full of glitches, & has a low energy return

Posted on November 28, 2021 by

Preface.  Concentrating solar power (CSP) projects usually sprawl in a circle over several square miles and can cost over a billion dollars. They use mirrors and lenses to capture the high temperatures needed to efficiently produce or store electricity. Almost … Continue reading →

Posted in Concentrated Solar Power, Solar EROI | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Alaskan tsunamis threaten even California

Posted on November 25, 2021 by

Preface. A 9.1 magnitude earthquake in Alaska send a tsunami all the way to the California coast  and cause at least $10 billion in damage, forcing at least 750,000 people to evacuate flooded areas, destroy port facilities in the Bay … Continue reading →

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Structurally Deficient Bridges

Posted on November 22, 2021 by

Preface.  As I explained in my book “When Trucks Stop Running”, if diesel fuel ran out, civilization would end within a week as grocery shelves, pharmacies, gas stations, and all other businesses ran out of supplies. The millions of miles … Continue reading →

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