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.

Coal-to-liquids (CTL) can not compensate for declining oil & natural gas production

Posted on June 6, 2015 by

Notes from 23 page: Höök, M. & Aleklett, K. 2010. A review on coal-to-liquid fuels & its coal consumption. International journal of energy research Vol. 34 10:848-864 Annual decline in existing crude oil production is around 4-8%, equivalent to an … Continue reading →

Posted in Coal to Liquids (CTL), Flow Rate | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Coal-to-liquids (CTL) can not compensate for declining oil & natural gas production

How different nations have coped with oil shortages

Posted on June 5, 2015 by

Preface. In this article, Friedrichs shows how differently Cuba, North Korea, and Japan coped after a sudden loss of most of their oil.  I first became aware of how essential oil was for nations when I read Daniel Yergin’s 1991 … Continue reading →

Posted in Cuba, North Korea, Oil shock collapse, Peak Oil | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How different nations have coped with oil shortages

Peak fossil fuels limits climate change to low-to-medium outcomes in IPCC report

Posted on June 4, 2015 by

Excerpts from 24 page:  Höök, M., Tang, X. 2013. Depletion of fossil fuels and anthropogenic climate change: a review. Energy Policy, 52: 797-809 Conclusion of paper: Fossil fuel constraints will limit anthropogenic climate impact towards the low-medium outcomes presented by … Continue reading →

Posted in ! PEAK EVERYTHING, But not from climate change: Peak Fossil Fuels, Climate Change, Supply Chains, Transportation | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Peak fossil fuels limits climate change to low-to-medium outcomes in IPCC report

A transition from fossil fuels to renewables could take a century – if it ever happens

Posted on June 3, 2015 by

Preface. Vaclav Smil explains why energy transitions take 50 to 100 years in the article below.  Hirsch wrote a report  for the Department of Energy in 2005, and also explained why you’d want to prepare at least 10 to 20 … Continue reading →

Posted in An Overview, Infrastructure & Fast Crash, Vaclav Smil | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A transition from fossil fuels to renewables could take a century – if it ever happens

Peak Coal in China likely to be around 2024

Posted on June 2, 2015 by

Mohr, S. H., et al. February 1, 2015. Projection of world fossil fuels by country. Fuel volume 141: 120-135. We model world fossil fuel production by country including unconventional sources. Scenarios suggest coal production peaks before 2025 due to China. … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Peak Coal | Comments Off on Peak Coal in China likely to be around 2024

David Hughes: Peak oil sands in 2018

Posted on May 14, 2015 by

[ Tar sand production is peaking now in 2016 due to low oil prices, but even when oil prices go back up again, tar sands are one of the most expensive unconventional oil reserves to produce, and perhaps last in … Continue reading →

Posted in Other Experts, Peak Oil, Tar Sands (Oil Sands) | Tagged , , | Comments Off on David Hughes: Peak oil sands in 2018

Global oil risks in the early 21st century, Energy Policy 2011

Posted on May 12, 2015 by

[This is a large excerpt from an excellent 18-page paper I think predicts how the future will unfold as well as a good overview of our predicament. Alice Friedemann] Fantazzini, Dean; Höök, Mikael; Angelantoni, André. 2011. Global oil risks in … Continue reading →

Posted in Other Experts, Peak Oil, Scientists, Scientists Warnings to Humanity | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Global oil risks in the early 21st century, Energy Policy 2011

Peak soil, peak phosphate, peak fertilizer means Peak Food

Posted on May 9, 2015 by

Amundson, R., et al. May 7, 2015. Soil and human security in the 21st century. Science 348. A group of leading soil scientists has summarized the precarious state of the world’s soil resources and the possible ramifications for human security … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture Infrastructure, Peak Food, Peak Topsoil, Scientists Warnings to Humanity, Soil | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Peak soil, peak phosphate, peak fertilizer means Peak Food

A third of Nuclear Reactors are going to die of old age in the next 10-20 years

Posted on April 3, 2015 by

70% of reactors are over 25 years old, 23% are over 35 years old, so within 10 to 20 years about a third will have to be decommissioned, far more than the 63 under construction.  Some are bound to fail … Continue reading →

Posted in ! PEAK EVERYTHING, Nuclear Power Energy | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Richard Heinberg: Only less will do

Posted on March 19, 2015 by

Richard Heinberg. March 16, 2015. Only Less Will Do. Post Carbon Institute. [portions of this article were cut, reworded, and rearranged] Almost nobody likes to hear about the role of scale in our global environmental crisis, because if growth is … Continue reading →

Posted in Birth Control, By People, Climate Change, Overpopulation, Richard Heinberg | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments