Author Archives: energyskeptic

Bodhi Paul Chefurka: Carrying capacity, overshoot and sustainability

Posted on November 10, 2019 by

Preface. This is a post written by Bodhi Paul Chefurka in 2013 at his blog paulchefurka.ca here. I don’t understand his ultimate sustainable carrying capacity based on hunter gatherers. Why will agriculture go away? But the rest of the article … Continue reading →

Posted in Overshoot, Paul Chefurka, Population | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Gravity energy storage

Posted on November 7, 2019 by

Preface. This is interesting, but not commercial. And as my book “When trucks stop running” explains, trucks are the basis of civilization, and can’t run on electric batteries or overhead wires. Even if they could, I explained why a 100% … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy Storage, Research | Tagged | 9 Comments

Peak stainless steel

Posted on November 4, 2019 by

Steel and nickel aren’t on the critical mineral list, but nickel ought to be, since this study shows that there is a significant risk that stainless steel production will reach its maximum capacity around 2055 because of declining nickel production, … Continue reading →

Posted in Infrastructure & Collapse, Mining, Peak Critical Elements | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Medicare for All?

Posted on October 28, 2019 by

Preface.  This is a 3-page review of a 34-page overview Congressional Budget Office report requested by congress on establishing a single-payer health care system.  IMHO, I don’t see how this can possibly happen.  How can a dysfunctional congress deal with … Continue reading →

Posted in Health What to do | Tagged | 2 Comments

Cheddar Power

Posted on October 25, 2019 by

Preface. Oh how I love cheddar. When I hear that someone is a vegan I stare in disbelief. A life without cheese is a life not worth living, especially a life without cheddar. As a perpetually hungry child, if Mom … Continue reading →

Posted in Far Out | Tagged | 4 Comments

Pumped Hydro Storage (PHS)

Posted on October 13, 2019 by

Preface. This is the only commercial way to store energy now (CAES hardly counts with just one plant and salt domes to put more in existing in only 5 states). Though of course hydropower is only in a few states … Continue reading →

Posted in Dams, Energy Production, Hydropower, Pumped Hydro Storage (PHS) | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

The 10 countries with the most endangered species in the world

Posted on October 10, 2019 by

I don’t know whether to go to these countries to see these beautiful creatures before they’re extinct, or to spend my money on countries like Costa Rica and Tanzania that have set aside a quarter or more of their land … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, Deforestation | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The carbon trap by Paul Chefurka

Posted on October 1, 2019 by

Preface. We are caught in the carbon trap — we utterly depend on fossils that don’t have an electric replacement. Someday people will figure this out the hard way, but Chefurka compassionately points out that there is no one to … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Nature, Interdependencies, Paul Chefurka | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

How Much Oil is in an Electric Vehicle? by Nicholas LePan

Posted on September 28, 2019 by

LePan shows how plastics, made from fossil fuels, make up so much of a car, plus lighten the weight so the car can go further on gasoline. Since fossil fuels are finite, many assume we’ll just make them out of … Continue reading →

Posted in Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Can concentrated solar power be used to generate industrial process heat?

Posted on September 25, 2019 by

Preface. The bright future of solar thermal powered factories, makes some important points about using concentrated solar power to generate heat: “…A large share of energy consumed worldwide is by heat. Cooking, space heating and water heating dominate domestic energy … Continue reading →

Posted in Concentrated Solar Power, Energy Infrastructure, Manufacturing & Industrial Heat | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments