Category Archives: 3) Fast Crash

The case for a fast, rather than a slow one. Most societies crashed in 20 years or less. There has never been or will be again a crash like ours, where the world of 7 billion people became utterly dependent on a non-renewable source of energy — fossil fuels.

Half of U.S. Coal runs out in 30 years, not 250

Posted on May 13, 2020 by

Preface. The USGS did a survey of coal in the U.S. in 1974 and announced that America had 250 years of coal left.  In 2007, the National Research Council wrote a report suggesting 100 years was more likely due to … Continue reading →

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How sand transformed civilization

Posted on April 29, 2020 by

Preface. No wonder we’re reaching peak sand. We use more of this natural resource than of any other except water. Civilization consumes nearly 50 billion tons of sand & gravel a year, enough to build a concrete wall 88 feet … Continue reading →

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How a pandemic or bioweapon could take civilization down

Posted on April 23, 2020 by

Preface.  I just listened to a 3.5 hour podcast on pandemics and bioweapons with the best up-to-date coverage I know of, and more interesting to listen to than reading a book or article.  Just one of many scary problems: synthetic … Continue reading →

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Nuclear Power problems

Posted on April 17, 2020 by

Preface.  There are half a dozen articles below. Although safety and disposal of nuclear waste ought to be the main reasons why no more plants should be built, what actually stops them today are the high costs: it can take … Continue reading →

Posted in Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Nuclear Power Collapse, Nuclear Power Energy | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Fossil-fueled industrial heat hard to impossible to replace with renewables

Posted on April 14, 2020 by

Preface. Cement, steel, glass, bricks, ceramics, chemicals, and much more depend on fossil-fueled high heat (up to 3200 F) to make. Except for the electric-arc furnace to recycle existing steel, there aren’t any renewable ways to make cement, other metals, … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Manufacturing & Industrial Heat | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

A 1-year blackout could kill 90% of Americans

Posted on April 11, 2020 by

Preface. What follows is the 30-page testimony of Dr. Pry at a 2015 U.S. House of Representatives session that I’ve summarized. One of the ways that an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) could be generated is by a solar flare. During the … Continue reading →

Posted in Blackouts, Blackouts Electric Grid, Congressional Record U.S., Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Electricity Infrastructure, Extreme Weather, Nuclear Power Collapse, Nuclear War, U.S. Congress Energy Policy, U.S. Congress Infrastructure | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Antonio Turiel: Explaining Peak Oil the Easy Way

Posted on April 2, 2020 by

Preface. Turiel writes an excellent blog “The oil crash” at http://crashoil.blogspot.com. Turiel explains eloquently why the amount of oil will decline even though there are vast pools of oil left underground. If you read my book “When trucks stop running”, … Continue reading →

Posted in Flow Rate, Peak Oil | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Peak Phosphorus

Posted on March 20, 2020 by

Sources: Peak phosphorus curve indicating a peak in production by 2033, derived from US Geological Survey and industry data. Cordell, D.; Drangert, J.-O.; White, S. The story of phosphorus: Global food security and food for thought. Glob. Environ. Change 2009, … Continue reading →

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Russia has been bombarding Ukraine with fake news since 2014. Sound familiar?

Posted on February 13, 2020 by

Preface.  Long before Russia bombarded the U.S. with fake news in the 2016 election campaign, Ukraine was the target, where Russia honed its propaganda skills. The parallels with their fake news assault on the U.S. are striking, perhaps if more … Continue reading →

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Biomass charcoal to create manufacturing high heat

Posted on January 11, 2020 by

Preface.  The following industries need heat of up 1800 to 3275 F: Chemicals, Forest products, Iron and Steel, Plastics & Rubber, Fabricated metals, Transport Equipment, Computers, electronics & equipment, Aluminum, Cement, Glass, Machinery, Foundries. For nearly all of these products, … Continue reading →

Posted in Manufacturing & Industrial Heat, Peak Biofuels, Wood | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments