Author Archives: energyskeptic

Airplanes are energy gluttons. Finite oil should be used for ships, locomotives, & trucks

Preface. As oil declines and the energy crisis worsens, airplanes ought to be the first to go since they are 600 times less energy efficient than large cargo ships (30,000 / 50), 50 to 120 times less efficient than trains, … Continue reading

Posted in Airplanes, Transportation What To Do | 4 Comments

Vaclav Smil on natural gas (ethane) and plastics

Preface. Vaclav Smil doesn’t mention using plastic for heat, but in a letter to The Guardian, David Reed suggests: “The effort of collecting, transporting and cleaning plastics for possible recycling has largely failed, created much more pollution and contributed massively … Continue reading

Posted in Natural Gas, Vaclav Smil | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Venezuela collapse: looting, hunger, blackouts, environmental catastrophe

Preface. Venezuela is experiencing a double whammy of drought and low oil prices, which has lead to blackouts and inability to import food, due to their oil production peaking in 1997.  If you want to know how collapse will unfold … Continue reading

Posted in Social Disorder, Venezuela | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Peak Sand

Preface. With world peak oil production in 2018 so far (Peak oil is here!) it looks like peak sand won’t be the main factor in the fall of our fossil-fueled civilization. After all, oil makes all materials and activities possible, … Continue reading

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, Concrete, Peak Sand, Soil | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Peak Sand

Boston Globe: the false promise of nuclear power

Last Updated August 2021. Preface. This article raises many objections to nuclear power. Theoretically it could be cheaper, but the exact opposite has happened, it keeps getting more expensive. For example the only new reactors being built in the U.S. … Continue reading

Posted in Nuclear Power Energy | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Rust Power

Preface.  This is yet another article with an energy generation idea that will probably never work out and become commercial.  But it gives hope and dreams to ordinary people who think what a cool idea, and who will never check … Continue reading

Posted in Far Out | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Carbon capture could require 25% of all global energy

Preface.  This is clearly a pipedream. Surely the authors know this, since they say that the energy needed to run direct air capture machines in 2100 is up to 300 exajoules each year. That’s more than half of global energy … Continue reading

Posted in CO2 and Methane, Far Out | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Himalayan glaciers supplying water to a billion people melting fast, Andes too

Preface. The Himalayan glaciers that supply water to a billion people are melting fast, already 30% has been lost since 1975. Adding to the crisis are the 400 dams under construction or planned for Himalayan rivers in India, Pakistan, Nepal, … Continue reading

Posted in Caused by Scarce Resources, Climate Change, Dams, Peak Water, Planetary Boundaries, Water, Water Infrastructure | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Himalayan glaciers supplying water to a billion people melting fast, Andes too

Billionaire apocalypse bunkers & other hideouts

Source: Cohen L (2018) A Survival Condo in a Missile Silo? It’s a Thing. Zillow Preface. There are many reasons why people might want a bunker, but peak oil, peak food, peak everything for that matter were not mentioned in … Continue reading

Posted in Where are the rich going | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

How safe are utility-scale energy storage batteries?

This 2 MW battery, installed by the Arizona Public Service electric company, exploded in April 2019 and sent eight firefighters and a policeman to the hospital (Cooper 2019). At least 23 South Korean lithium-ion facilities caught fire in a series … Continue reading

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