Author Archives: energyskeptic

Trump & Project 2025 want to destroy energy efficiency & raise your utility bills

Posted on March 26, 2025 by

Source: (NYT 2017, LBL 2025) The Department of energy (DOE) under Chris Wright is proposing to get rid of energy efficiency standards that have saved consumers over 1.5 trillion dollars (CFA 2017). The average American home saves $321 a year … Continue reading →

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The only congressional hearing on Peak Oil was in 2005

Posted on March 20, 2025 by

Preface. This U.S. House hearing happened 20 years ago, but it is still a good introduction to why oil is so important to society. At this hearing scientific experts spoke, warning that we will reach peak oil within decades (which … Continue reading →

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Tom Murphy Stubborn Expectations (on population)

Posted on March 13, 2025 by

U.N.Total fertility rate projections Preface. Tom Murphy has one of the best blogs on limits to growth, energy resources and more in his blog Do The Math. He is a professor emeritus of the departments of Physics and Astronomy & … Continue reading →

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NIMBY Hydrogen production

Posted on March 6, 2025 by

Preface.  Now that Trump has slashed the hydrogen budget this is not an issue, but perhaps will be again if Democrats gain power in 2028. Which is fine with me, hydrogen is the dumbest of all the proposed alternatives as … Continue reading →

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Can Geothermal power replace declining fossil fuels?

Posted on February 27, 2025 by

Preface. Today the electric grid stays up because of months of backup power from natural gas, coal, and uranium.  Most of all natural gas because it can quickly balance wind and solar as they suddenly appear or die out. Natural … Continue reading →

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Telling others about peak oil and limits to growth

Posted on February 20, 2025 by

Preface. Obviously the planet is finite.  World crude oil production peaked in 2018, and been on a plateau since 2008.  Other resources, such as food, are peaking while the polycrisis depletes fisheries, forests, groundwater and more. Yet this reality is … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Thinking, Limits To Growth, Peak Oil | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Why coal was only created once

Posted on February 13, 2025 by

Preface.  Coal only formed once on Earth over hundreds of millions of years because they had lignin and cellulose that microbes hadn’t yet evolved to consume. Eventually they did, and today termites, cows and other creatures are able to digest … Continue reading →

Posted in Biofuels, Coal | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Failed Nations

Posted on February 6, 2025 by

Preface.  This is the Fund for Peace Fragile States Index. The “Download data in excel” column has years 2006 to 2023. In 2007, there were 17 nations, of 180, more stable than the USA, in 2023, 38 states more stable.

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We have a date for the zenith of civilization: 2025-2026

Posted on January 30, 2025 by

Source:  Chart made by Gail Tverberg here showing the general pattern of secular cycles based on information given in the book Secular Cycles by Peter Turchin & Sergey Nefedov, Princeton University Press, 2009. Preface. I have no idea who wrote … Continue reading →

Posted in By People | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Escape to Mars after we’ve trashed the Earth?

Posted on January 23, 2025 by

Preface. The idea that we can go to Mars is touted by NASA, Elon Musk, and so many others that this dream seems just around the corner.  If we destroy our planet with climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, soil erosion, … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Extinction, Far Out, Hopium, Human Nature, Planetary Boundaries, Where to Be or Not to Be | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments