Category Archives: 2) Overshoot

The polycrisis/overshoot, collapse of the financial system, breakdown of supply chains, blackouts, end of being able to make computer chips, and so on are symptoms of the underlying cause: peak energy and peak everything, especially peak diesel since trucks, rail, and ships make this one-time only fossil fueled civilization possible. Wind, solar, nuclear, and so on also need fossil fuels for every single step of their life cycle, so that is a dead end. It is back to before the 15th century — wood world. Whether the house of cards collapses from chokepoints in the middle east such as the Suez canal, the financial shock of a natural disaster or from debt and corruption, Export Land Model, or nuclear war — there is certain to be a series of dislocations that ultimately bring population down to 400 million (population before fossil fuels) or less (due to overshoot factors such as top soil erosion, pollution, etc) Let’s hope there are some islands of sanity and that you are living on one of them!

Biodiversity loss impact on ecosystem worse than climate change and pollution

Posted on May 3, 2012 by

David U. Hooper, et al. A global synthesis reveals biodiversity loss as a major driver of ecosystem change. Nature, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nature11118 “This analysis establishes that reduced biodiversity affects ecosystems at levels comparable to those of global warming or air … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, Extinction | Comments Off on Biodiversity loss impact on ecosystem worse than climate change and pollution

Fungi destroy bees, bats, amphibians, trees, etc

Posted on April 11, 2012 by

Attack of the Killer Fungi: Rising Threat Worries Scientists Wynne Parry, LiveScience   11 April 2012 An unprecedented number of diseases caused by fungi have been causing some of the most severe die-offs and extinctions ever witnessed in wild species and … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, Extinction | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Fungi destroy bees, bats, amphibians, trees, etc

40% of amphibians face imminent extinction

Posted on March 24, 2012 by

Wake, D. 2 Mar 2012. Facing Extinction in Real Time. Science vol 335, 1052-53. Throughout the world, amphibians are in decline, and many species—perhaps 40%—face imminent extinction. Recent studies have discovered why amphibians are dying. The amphibian decline is happening … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, Extinction | Comments Off on 40% of amphibians face imminent extinction

Hunting can drive species extinct

Posted on March 24, 2012 by

14 Jan 2009. Humans’ prey species evolving dangerously fast. NewScientist. Hunters and fishermen go after the largest catches they can find, which is driving evolution in a way unlike anything else on Earth, and the rapid changes triggered in wild … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, Extinction | Comments Off on Hunting can drive species extinct

Acidification of our oceans: unprecedented rate in past 300 million years

Posted on March 24, 2012 by

Ahmed, Nafeez. 2017. Failing States, Collapsing Systems BioPhysical Triggers of Political Violence. Springer. As climate change is accelerating, so is the acidification of the oceans. The two processes are causally related. Oceans are becoming more acidic because the vast bulk … Continue reading →

Posted in Acidification, Extinction, Oceans | Tagged , | Comments Off on Acidification of our oceans: unprecedented rate in past 300 million years

Biodiversity in glacier-fed rivers threatened by climate change

Posted on March 21, 2012 by

So many of these articles belong in several different places, the web of life is hard to categorize and put in one spot. 16 Mar 2012. “Glacial river biodiversity”. Nature Climate Change. Glacial melt water increases biodiversity in mountainous freshwater … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, Climate Change | Comments Off on Biodiversity in glacier-fed rivers threatened by climate change

Sharon Astyk on stages of Collapse

Posted on March 21, 2012 by

Astyk, Sharon. 19 Mar 2012. Commentary: Collapse? Really? ASPO Peak Oil Review. 1. People get really mad at their government. This usually leads to some measure of civil unrest, and often changes of government, some of which are meaningful and … Continue reading →

Posted in 2) Overshoot, Stages of | Comments Off on Sharon Astyk on stages of Collapse

Invasive species unchecked by climate

Posted on March 5, 2012 by

Philip Hulme of the Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, New Zealand writes in the 3 Feb 2012 issue of Science: Climate change is likely to devastate native species and biodiversity. But ironically, invasive alien species — which are a threat … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, Extinction | Comments Off on Invasive species unchecked by climate

Water Infrastructure Falling Apart Nation-wide

Posted on March 4, 2012 by

Water statistics: 2.5% of all water is fresh (drinkable), 69% of fresh water is locked up in glaciers and ice caps, in the USA 37% (of 127 trillion gallons) is used for irrigation, 1,847 gallons to produce 1 lb beef, … Continue reading →

Posted in Infrastructure & Collapse, Water Infrastructure | Comments Off on Water Infrastructure Falling Apart Nation-wide

Middle East, the beginning of the end

Posted on January 30, 2012 by

With not only roughly two-thirds of the world’s remaining oil, but also the easiest and cheapest to get at, with the highest EROEI, any major disruption instantly throws the world into hard times and a die-off if nations don’t share … Continue reading →

Posted in 2) Overshoot, Middle East | Comments Off on Middle East, the beginning of the end