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.

Why is oil production peak the problem and not when the oil runs out?

First, a little history The exponential growth of population from 1 billion to 7 billion in less than 200 years was fueled by fossil fuels, especially oil, which does the actual work of a society and is as necessary as … Continue reading

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Inside North Korea’s environmental collapse

The reddish hue of this soil in North Korea comes from lack of organic matter, vital for farming. Related Posts: North Korea collapse posts How different nations have coped with oil shortages Dmitry Orlov: How Russians survived the collapse of … Continue reading

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Garrett Hardin: POPULATION: BIGGER IS LESS FREE

Recently the BIB school of population pundits— “Bigger is Better” — has become noisier. That bigger is not always better is known to everyone with eyes and a memory. An expanding population erodes individual freedom. The freedom  people had to … Continue reading

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David Pimentel: Last orders please … room is running out at the global dinner table

Last orders please … room is running out at the global dinner table by Dr David Pimentel, professor of ecology and agricultural science at Cornell University, New York, Sydney Morning Herald, 12/07/2002, p 11, edited transcript of two speeches given … Continue reading

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A financial crash would stop new oil production, sending us over the net energy cliff with a 10% decline rate per year

Gail Tverberg’s March 4, 2014 “Reasons for our Energy Predicament – an overview” gave me this sudden insight: There is the potential for a sudden drop of 10 to 30% in oil production.  That magnitude of world-wide oil shocks would … Continue reading

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Matt Simmons “Twilight in the Desert” Saudi Arabia oil: how much left?

Once the large fields peak in Saudi Arabia oil shocks will reverberate throughout the world Best up-to-date status of oil fields in Saudi Arabia. Ghawar is in decline, but 2 new fields filled in, once they’re in decline, there are … Continue reading

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We’ve taken over too much of the planet for pasture and crops

In the article “Primeval planet: What if humans had never existed?” by Christopher Kemp in NewScientist, these charts of increasing intensity of pasture and crop land from 5000 BC (18,000,000 population) until 2000 (6,150,000,000 people) show that humans are laying … Continue reading

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Philip Cafaro on immigration and population

Here are some of the bullet points of what to do from “Arguments for Reducing Immigration” from Life on the Brink. Cut legal immigration from 1 million to 200,000 per year Reduce illegal immigration by strictly enforcing sactions against employers … Continue reading

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The Passengers are killing the crew of Spaceship Earth

What follows was written by Captain Paul Watson, who helped found Greenpeace in 1972 and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in1977.  His books include: Sea Shepherd: My fight for Whales and Seals, Cry Wolf, Ocean Warrior, Earth Force, and Seal … Continue reading

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Dave Foreman: More Immigration = More Americans = Less Wilderness

Dave Foreman. 2013. More Immigration = More Americans = Less Wilderness. Earth island Journal. The Big Thing facing Earth today – dwarfing all else – is the mass extinction of animals and plants unprecedented in size and scope for 65 … Continue reading

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