Author Archives: energyskeptic

Book Review of Richard Heinberg’s 2011 “The End of Growth”

Preface. This is not a book review really, it’s more a few of my kindle notes. Heinberg writes so well, so clearly, that I am sure history will remember him as the most profound and wide-ranging expert on energy and … Continue reading

Posted in Richard Heinberg | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Book Review of Richard Heinberg’s 2011 “The End of Growth”

U.S. Army new jobs: quell social unrest from climate change, help get arctic oil

Preface. Of all the branches of government, the military is the most on top of climate change, peak oil, pandemics, power grid failure, and other disasters. I guess that shouldn’t be surprising, it’s their job to defend the U.S. against … Continue reading

Posted in Military | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on U.S. Army new jobs: quell social unrest from climate change, help get arctic oil

Reforestation for the return to biomass after fossil fuels

Preface. Below are excerpts from a New York Times article about forests. My book “Life After Fossil Fuels: A Reality Check on Alternative Energy” explains why the myriad ways we use fossil fuels can’t be electrified (or hydrogenized or anything … Continue reading

Posted in Deforestation | Tagged , | Comments Off on Reforestation for the return to biomass after fossil fuels

The History of Drunkenness

Preface. This is a book review of “A short history of Drunkenness” by Mark Forsyth. I expect alcohol to be a big part of life postcarbon not only because most cultures have embraced alcohol, but to drown the sorrows and … Continue reading

Posted in Advice, Agriculture, Human Nature | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The History of Drunkenness

Pentagon report: collapse within 20 years from climate change

Preface. The report that the article by Ahmed below is based on is: Brosig, M., et al. 2019. Implications of climate change for the U.S. Army. United States Army War College. It was written in 2019, before covid-19 and so … Continue reading

Posted in Arctic, Blackouts, Climate Change, Infrastructure & Fast Crash, Military, Over Oil | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Updates to Life After Fossil Fuels: A Reality Check on Alternative Energy

Updates to “Life After Fossil Fuels” Last updated 28 April 2024. Other posts related to this book here. My book is about our many dependencies on fossil fuels, quickly depicted in these very short videos:  Life without Petroleum  A Day … Continue reading

Posted in Biofuels, Fusion, Groundwater, How Much Left, Hydrogen, Life After Fossil Fuels, Peak Water | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Compressed air energy storage (CAES)

Preface. Besides pumped hydro storage (PHS), which provides 99% of energy storage today, CAES is the only other commercially proven energy storage technology that can provide large-scale (over 100 MW) energy storage. But there are just two CAES plants in … Continue reading

Posted in CAES Compressed Air | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Compressed air energy storage (CAES)

Heinberg on what to do at home to conserve energy

Preface. A quick summary. Best investment: insulate exterior walls, ceiling, and floors for energy savings. Other good changes were to plant a garden and fruit-and-nut orchard, and buy solar hot water heater, solar food dryer, solar cooker, chickens, energy-efficient appliances … Continue reading

Posted in Advice, Richard Heinberg | Tagged | Comments Off on Heinberg on what to do at home to conserve energy

Life After Fossil Fuels: manufacturing will be less precise

Preface. This is a book review and excerpts of Winchester’s “The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers created the modern world”. The book describes how the industrial revolution was made possible with ever more precision.  First came the steam engine, possible to … Continue reading

Posted in Infrastructure & Collapse, Jobs and Skills, Life After Fossil Fuels, Manufacturing & Industrial Heat | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Life After Fossil Fuels: manufacturing will be less precise

Rationing. Book review of “Any way you slice it” by Stan Cox

Preface. I can’t imagine that there’s a better book on rationing out there, but of course I can’t be sure, I don’t feel the need to find others on this topic after reading this book. As usual, I had to … Continue reading

Posted in Agriculture, Rationing | Tagged , | 1 Comment