Category Archives: Experts

experts in energy, ecology, collapse, carrying capacity, biophysical and neoclassical economics, etc.

Civilizations last just 336 years on average

Posted on May 6, 2019 by

Preface. I stopped trying to find out why each civilization failed because it’s not always clear and historians bicker over it, so I was glad to run across this article that attempts to summarize this broad topic. It’s clear drought, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cambridge Centre Study of Existential Risk, Collapsed & collapsing nations, Scientists Warnings to Humanity | Tagged | 4 Comments

Replacing diesel tractors with horses or oxen – what will that be like?

Posted on April 27, 2019 by

Preface. Since fossil fuels are finite, at some point increasing numbers of farmers with diesel vehicles and equipment will want to replace them with horses, which can do the work of six people.  Below is what  energy expert Vaclav Smil … Continue reading →

Posted in Farming & Ranching, Life Before Oil, Muscle Power, Peak Food, Vaclav Smil | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Ugo Bardi: “Energy Dominance,” what does it mean? Decoding a Fashionable Slogan

Posted on April 9, 2019 by

Preface.  A very good article about energy and war, explains a lot about how the world really works. Alice Friedemann   www.energyskeptic.com  author of “When Trucks Stop Running: Energy and the Future of Transportation”, 2015, Springer and “Crunch! Whole Grain Artisan … Continue reading →

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

Book review of Bryce’s “Power hungry: the myths of green energy and the real fuels of the future”

Posted on March 28, 2019 by

Preface.  This is a book review of: Robert Bryce. 2009. Power Hungry: The Myths of “Green” Energy and the Real Fuels of the Future. This is a brilliant book, very funny at times, a great way to sharpen your critical … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy Books, Other Experts | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Book review of Heinberg’s “Afterburn: society beyond fossil fuels”

Posted on March 25, 2019 by

Preface. This book has 15 essays Heinberg wrote from 2011 to 2014, many of them available for free online.  These are some of my Kindle notes of parts that interested me, so to you it will be disjointed and perhaps … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy Books, Peak Oil, Richard Heinberg | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

How United Nations scientists are preparing for the end of capitalism

Posted on March 7, 2019 by

Preface. The article below was written by Nafeez Ahmed, who wrote one of my favorite books  “Failing States, Collapsing Systems: BioPhysical Triggers of Political Violence“. Ahmed writes: “Most observers have no idea of the current biophysical realities – that the driving … Continue reading →

Posted in Crash Coming Soon, Organizations | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Pedro Prieto: many solar panels won’t last 25-30 years, EROI may be negative

Posted on March 4, 2019 by

Preface. Pedro Prieto and Charles Hall wrote the definitive book on the EROI of solar power, “Spain’s Photovoltaic Revolution. The Energy Return on Investment” and has built many commercial facilities himself and witnessed the failure of solar panels long before … Continue reading →

Posted in Pedro Prieto, Photovoltaic Solar | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Richard Heinberg: Our bonus decade

Posted on March 1, 2019 by

Preface.  Because of the bonus oil and gas fracking brought us starting in 2005, Heinberg says “I’ve titled this essay “Our Bonus Decade” because the past ten years were an unexpected (by us peakists, anyway) extra—like a bonus added to … Continue reading →

Posted in Crash Coming Soon, Richard Heinberg | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Saving fuel: making combat vehicles lighter

Posted on February 26, 2019 by

Preface. The military would like to lightweight equipment to save on fuel. Although Peak Oil isn’t mentioned, no other department of the U.S. government is more aware of future energy shortages, and the implications that has for their ability to … Continue reading →

Posted in Military, Transportation | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Saving fuel: making combat vehicles lighter

Earthquakes in California could cost over $200 billion dollars

Posted on February 14, 2019 by

Preface. The figures below don’t do justice to the harm an earthquake would do.  There is $1.9 trillion dollars of property at risk from earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay Area, where a catastrophic earthquake on the Hayward Fault would … Continue reading →

Posted in Earthquakes, U.S. Congress Infrastructure | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments