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.

Oil choke points vulnerable to war, chaos, terrorism, accidents, & piracy

Source: Ballout, D. 2013. Choke Points: Our energy access points. Oil Change. Preface. Below are several articles I’ve collected since 2005 on oil chokepoints. If oil tanker traffic were stopped on one or more, much of the world would plunge … Continue reading

Posted in Chokepoints, Oil & Gas, Oil Shocks, Threats to oil supply | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Nuclear weapons must be reduced or we risk nuclear winter

Geoscientists Can Help Reduce the Threat of Nuclear Weapons Preface.  The United States has embarked on a wide-ranging nuclear modernization program that will ultimately see every nuclear delivery system replaced with newer versions over the coming decades. The total cost … Continue reading

Posted in Nuclear Winter | Tagged , | Comments Off on Nuclear weapons must be reduced or we risk nuclear winter

Fusion is already running out of fuel

Source: Khan A (2021) Nuclear fusion: building a star on Earth is hard, which is why we need better materials. The Conversation. Preface.  Of all the hundreds of obstacles fusion has yet to overcome, its death knell could be as … Continue reading

Posted in Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Fusion, Nuclear Waste | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rare Earth updates: recent research on why complex & intelligent life are rare in the Universe

Preface. These are updates to Ward & Brownlee’s book “Rare Earth: Why Complex life is Uncommon in the Universe”. If we are one of the few planets with intelligent life, what a shame it would be if we destroyed ourselves … Continue reading

Posted in Evolution, Human Nature, Planetary Boundaries, Wood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book review of “Chip War” and the Fragility of microchips

Major semiconductor producing countries rely on each other for different types of chips. Top semiconductor producers’ 2021 export values by source and destination, billions USD.  Source: PIIE 2022 https://www.piie.com/research/piie-charts/major-semiconductor-producing-countries-rely-each-other-different-types-chips Preface.  We have become insanely dependent on technology that can’t possibly … Continue reading

Posted in Blackouts Electric Grid, Electricity Infrastructure, Microchips and computers | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Book review of “Chip War” and the Fragility of microchips

The tremendous material and energy toll of the digital economy

One minute on the internet around the world. Source Infographic by @LoriLewas and @officiallyChad, 2020. Preface.  This is a book review of Pitron’s “The Dark Cloud”. Of note is the huge amount of electricity and rare earth and other critical … Continue reading

Posted in Infrastructure & Fast Crash, Microchips and computers, Mining, Peak Critical Elements | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The tremendous material and energy toll of the digital economy

Nuclear attack on U.S. could kill 90% of Americans

A map showing modelling by Princeton University’s Program on Science and Global Security showing the worst-case scenario effects of a strike on America’s nuclear missile silos. Researchers found as many as 300 million people would be at risk of a … Continue reading

Posted in An Index of Best Energyskeptic Posts, Biodiversity Loss, Nuclear War, War & Violence | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Nuclear attack on U.S. could kill 90% of Americans

What percent of Americans are rational?

Preface. Why does rationality matter — what’s the harm in believing there’s a fat “Santa Claus” God in the sky noting down every time any intelligent creature in the entire universe is naughty or nice on the trillions of inhabited … Continue reading

Posted in Critical Thinking, Critical Thinking and Scientific Literacy, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Book review: Lights Out. A cyberattack. A nation unprepared. Surviving the aftermath

Preface.  This is one of three posts based on Ted Koppel’s book Lights out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath. There are three posts on Ted Koppel’s book “Lights out”: Book review of Lights Out. A Cyberattack. A … Continue reading

Posted in Cyber, Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Energy Books | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Book review: Lights Out. A cyberattack. A nation unprepared. Surviving the aftermath

Off-Road vehicles & equipment need diesel fuel

Preface. Move over semi-trucks. You are not the most important truck in the world, even though I gave you the starring role in “When Trucks Stop Running”.  What really matters are the trucks that grow our fuel: Food. And mining … Continue reading

Posted in Efficiency, Electric & Hydrogen trucks impossible, Infrastructure & Fast Crash, Transportation Infrastructure, Trucks | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments