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Recent Posts
- A transition from fossil fuels to renewables could take a century – if it ever happens
- Electrifying freight trains in the U.S. is a bad idea
- Why Nuclear Power can’t replace fossil fuels
- Energy, Water, & Climate Change are interdependent
- Why fusion power is Forever Away
- Climate Change dominates news coverage at expense of other existential planetary boundaries
- Excerpt from “The Geopolitics of Resource Wars”
- Homes & Buildings
- Book Review “The Outlawed Ocean” by Ian Urbina
- Underestimating the Challenges of Avoiding a Ghastly Future
- Motherboards: too complicated to make after oil
- “More and More and More” one of the best books on energy ever written
- The staggering destruction of knowledge by Christians in the Roman Empire
- Why the R/P Reserves to Production ratio does not show when oil will run out
- Catton on Collapse “Bottleneck: Humanity’s Impending Impasse”
Category Archives: Energy
Don’t worry, be happy, there’s plenty of oil, natural gas, & coal left
These posts and links rebut the studies of cornucopians like Magueri and Daniel Yergin at CERA, who say there’s lots of oil left. Richard Kerr. 10 Aug 2012. Are World Oil’s Prospects Not Declining All That Fast? Science vol 337 … Continue reading
Posted in How Much Left
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Bunker Fuel supplies declining
I had always assumed large container ships would be the last to go in the oil age since hauling cargo in them is more efficient than even trains, but it looks like that isn’t as true any more. Ships use … Continue reading
Long-Term Reliability of Power Systems In North America
North American Electric Reliability Council. Oct 2006. Summary of 2006 Long-Term Reliability Assessment: The Reliability of the Bulk Power Systems In North America Capacity Margin — Capacity that could be available to cover random factors such as forced outages of … Continue reading
Posted in Electric Grid, Energy
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Natural Gas pros and cons
Natural gas is the ideal electricity generating source: No sulfur or mercury like coal No particulates like diesel fuels Isn’t radioactive like uranium It’s always “on” unlike intermittent sources such as wind and solar Natural gas power plants are essential … Continue reading
Posted in Energy, Natural Gas
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Flow Rate Posts
Interview of Richard G. Miller by Steve Andrews in Peak Oil Review. Feb 2014. Q: You refer to the widely used phrase—“it’s not so much the size of the tank as it is the size of the tap.” Care to comment … Continue reading
Depletion Rate Articles and Posts
Articles 2005. Matt Simmons. THE WORLD’S GIANT OILFIELDS How Many Exist? How Much Do They Produce? How Fast Are They Declining? Posts July 13, 2005. “Powerswitch” Clive Smith What seems to be happening…is that our new oil extraction technology, … Continue reading
Coal: why it can’t easily substitute for oil
In a major 2009, 737 page landmark study of our energy predicament, the National Academy of Sciences proposes that the only possible near-term solution to a substitute transportation fuel to replace gasoline is liquified coal. Liquified coal is the only … Continue reading
Oil
Since oil is so fabulous, why not just drill for more? Economists don’t believe that there is a finite amount of anything, all you have to do is drill a hole, pour money into it, and Voila! – black crude … Continue reading
Biofuels can be explosive
Oil and natural gas can be cheaply distributed by pipeline, but ethanol must move by very expensive truck or train. 6 Feb 2011. Ohio train derailment prompts evacuations. CNN. 7 Oct 2011. Freight Train Derailment in Illinois Prompts Evacuations. Associated … Continue reading
Posted in Biofuels
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Microgrids not yet possible with today’s technology
Preface. This article says that renewables do increase grid fluctuations, but that power trading fluctuations were even larger, and that with current technology, microgrids are not possible yet. Alice Friedemann www.energyskeptic.com author of “When Trucks Stop Running: Energy and the … Continue reading
Posted in Grid instability
Tagged electric grid, fluctuation, microgrid, power trading
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