Category Archives: Infrastructure

This site makes the case that collapse will take decades, not centuries. And the worst that ever has been or will be, it is fossil fuels that enabled 8.2 people to exist on the planet

Why methanol cannot replace petroleum as a transportation fuel

Posted on December 20, 2023 by

Preface. Methanol, or CH₃OH, is primarily used to make chemicals for plastics, paints, and cosmetics. It is made from coal or natural gas. “Green” methanol is made from biomass or biogas from landfills or sewage plants. Or it can be … Continue reading →

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Do you want to eat, drink, or fly?

Posted on December 6, 2023 by

Preface.  In this post the New York Times writes about renewable airplane fuel from corn ethanol, and questions whether there is enough water and a few other problems.  First I’m going to summarize their issues with this, and then follow … Continue reading →

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Unpave concrete & asphalt to save energy and money

Posted on November 22, 2023 by

Preface. The U.S. has 4.1 million miles of roads (1.9 million paved, 2.2 million gravel). About 3 million miles of roads have less than 2,000 vehicles a day, less than 15% of all traffic. The paved portion of these low-volume … Continue reading →

Posted in Concrete, Roads, Transportation, Transportation What To Do | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

A Nuclear spent fuel pool fire could force millions to evacuate & cost $2 trillion

Posted on October 25, 2023 by

Source: Stone R (2016) Near miss at Fukushima is a warning for U.S., panel says. Science Preface. Nuclear cheerleaders love to talk about how safe nuclear power is.  You will never ever hear them talk about nuclear fuel pools because … Continue reading →

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Book review: Atomic Days. The Untold Story of the Most Toxic Place in America

Posted on October 4, 2023 by

Preface. Plutonium for nuclear weapons was produced at the Hanford Washington site for nearly four decades. Today it is the world’s most polluted site chock-a-block with radioactive waste and toxic chemicals. Chemical pollution is one of the planetary boundaries that … Continue reading →

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Want to survive Peak Everything? Become a Mormon

Posted on September 20, 2023 by

Source: Salt Lake Tribune. For Latter-day Saint families, preparing for emergencies is the norm Preface.  Ted Koppel’s book “Lights Out” highlights the many risks to the grid from cyber and physical attacks, electromagnetic pulses from weapons or solar flares, large … Continue reading →

Posted in Blackouts, Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Energy Books, Where to Be or Not to Be | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Cobalt: The Making of a Mining Superpower

Posted on August 23, 2023 by

Preface. This book is about the history of the town of Cobalt and would make a great horror movie — the disease, filth, poverty, poor wages, racism, and destruction of the environment — the biodiversity, fresh water and more.

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EV charging not possible when restricted or grid down

Posted on August 13, 2023 by

Preface.  I have many posts at energyskeptic on the myriad reasons the grid will fail or disrupted in the future. Climate change is causing droughts and reservoirs too low to generate much hydropower, and nuclear plants must shut down if … Continue reading →

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Opposition to mining will prevent a green transition to renewables

Posted on July 17, 2023 by

Source: Bare (2012) Environmentalists win review of two more plants near Rosemont copper mine. Arizona Capitol times. I could overwhelm you with world-wide trillions of tons of mining waste and how China has rendered 20% of its farmland too toxic … Continue reading →

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550,000 abandoned mines, $50 billion to clean the worst ones

Posted on June 26, 2023 by

Preface. Below are excerpts of a US House 2010 congressional hearing on cleaning up abandoned mines. Abandoned mines can cause soil erosion, heavy metal contamination (i.e., cyanide, lead, arsenic, mercury, uranium), and acid drainage that threatens thousands of streams and … Continue reading →

Posted in Chemical Pollution, Congressional Record U.S., Hazardous Waste, Mining, Pollution, Water Pollution | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment