Category Archives: Energy

the posts in this category used to be in “Energy in A Nutshell” at my former web site.

If oil is being created all the time, we will never run out

Posted on July 23, 2025 by

  Preface. The theory that oil is always being created underground is known as abiotic, or Gold’s theory. This post consists of excerpts from the best paper I’ve found on why this is nonsense. Even if abiotic processes are happening, … Continue reading →

Posted in Oil, Ugo Bardi | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Summary of Greenpeace “Nuclear Reactor Hazards”

Posted on July 1, 2025 by

Source: Nuclear power is dirty, dangerous and expensive. Say no to new nukes. Preface.  This is a summary of: Hirsch H (2005) Nuclear Reactor Hazards Ongoing Dangers of Operating Nuclear Technology in the 21st Century.  Greenpeace International. The revival of … Continue reading →

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Nuclear power is not the solution

Posted on May 8, 2025 by

Preface. This is a book review of Ramana’s “Nuclear is not the Solution: The Folly of Atomic Power in the Age of Climate Change.” A great overview that covers many topics, one of the best out there, and most recent. … Continue reading →

Posted in Nuclear Books, Nuclear Power Energy, Nuclear War | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Refrigeration uses up to 30% of world electricity

Posted on May 1, 2025 by

Preface. This is a book review of Twilley’s 2024 book Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves. It is a really great book, highly recommended. Refrigeration plays a much larger role in our lives than people realize. … Continue reading →

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CCS plants leak, catch on fire, explode, corrode, and contaminate water

Posted on April 17, 2025 by

Source: Center for Progressive reform (2024) Carbon Dioxide Leak in Decatur, IL, Demonstrates Dangerous Failure of Carbon Capture Storage and Sequestration Preface. Clearly it is not worth spending billions of dollars to sequester CO2 “permanently” if it may leak. It’s … Continue reading →

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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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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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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

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