Category Archives: Energy

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

How will 500,000 products made with fossils as feedstock & process energy be created post fossil fuels?

Posted on September 29, 2021 by

Preface. It is quite likely that after fossils are gone, plastics will no longer be made, since they are incredibly complex – PhDs in numerous fields make them possible – and most kinds have been around for only 50 years … Continue reading →

Posted in Biomass, Manufacturing & Industrial Heat, Oil | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why wind and solar will cause more blackouts

Posted on September 26, 2021 by

Preface. Clearly fossil fuel plants need to be replaced with energy storage — batteries, pumped hydro, or compressed air. Many hours of backup power will be needed since, unfortunately, over two-thirds of total wind power in the U.S. happens outside … Continue reading →

Posted in Blackouts, Blackouts Electric Grid, Grid instability, National Super Grid | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Why wind and solar will cause more blackouts

The Nitrogen Bomb: fossil-fueled fertilizers keep billions of us alive

Posted on August 30, 2021 by

Preface. There are two articles below that explain why natural gas fertilizers are keeping at least 4 billion of us alive today.  If you’re interested in this topic, here are a few more to read: Erisman JW, Sutton MA, Galloway … Continue reading →

Posted in Farming & Ranching, Life After Fossil Fuels, Natural Gas, Overpopulation, Peak Food | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Peak oil: “It’s the flows, stupid!” Energy abundance depends entirely on the RATE of energy flow

Posted on August 24, 2021 by

Preface. Below are excerpts from two articles on why the FLOW RATE of oil is what matters for our fossil-fueled civilization. It’s like how, when filling up a bathtub, you want to turn the faucet on as high as it … Continue reading →

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Diesel is finite. Trucks are the bedrock of civilization. So where are the battery electric trucks?

Posted on August 17, 2021 by

Last updated: 2023-1-21 Preface. Heavy-duty diesel-engine trucks (agricultural, mining, logging, construction, garbage, cement, 18-wheelers, and more) are essential for doing the actual work of our fossil-fueled civilization. Without them, no goods would be delivered, no food grown, nothing manufactured, no … Continue reading →

Posted in Batteries, Electric & Hydrogen trucks impossible, Trucks: Electric | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Aging nuclear power plants should be shut down

Posted on August 3, 2021 by

Preface. Below are my notes from the Greenpeace 146-page “Lifetime extension of ageing nuclear power plants”.  Even if you don’t understand all the terms, read on anyhow, since it certainly conveys why nuclear plants grow more dangerous with age.  Imagine … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy Infrastructure, Nuclear Power Energy | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Aging nuclear power plants should be shut down

Trucks running on CNG or LNG

Posted on July 23, 2021 by

Preface. My books “When Trucks stop running” and “Life After Fossil Fuels” explain why trucks can’t run on electricity — batteries simply don’t scale up, they are too heavy leaving little if any room for cargo. A catenary system has … Continue reading →

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Biogas from cow manure is not a solution for the energy crisis

Posted on July 17, 2021 by

Preface. Smil’s article about biogas sums up why it won’t contribute to energy shortages as fossils decline. Biogass doesn’t scale and is easy to muck up. Hayes (2015) also makes this case, pointing out that even if every ounce of … Continue reading →

Posted in Biofuels, Biomass EROI, Peak Biofuels, Pollution | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Next Big Thing: Distributed Generation & Microgrids

Posted on July 14, 2021 by

  Preface. Last updated 2022-9-5   The first article below explains what microgrids will look like in the future.  But first a brief look at what a microgrid is, as Angwin explains in her book  “Shorting the Grid. The Hidden Fragility … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Blackouts Electric Grid, Distributed Generation, Electric Grid & Fast Collapse, Grid instability, Photovoltaic Solar, Wind | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Microchip fabrication plants need electricity 24 x 7 for four months

Posted on June 25, 2021 by

Preface. I explain in both of my books, When Trucks Stop Running and Life After Fossil Fuels, why heavy duty transportation and manufacturing can’t be electrified, as well as why the electric grid can’t stay up without natural gas to … Continue reading →

Posted in Blackouts, Electric Grid & Fast Collapse, Electricity Infrastructure, Interdependencies, Microchips and computers, Preservation of Knowledge | Tagged , , , , | 27 Comments