Tag Archives: energy

Ugo Bardi’s The Universal Mining Machine

Posted on January 19, 2021 by

Preface. Below I’ve excerpted some of Ugo Bardi’s “The Universal Mining Machine” (24 January 2008 europe.theoildrum), but I’ve left a great deal out of this excellent article, I encourage you to read all of it if you have time. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Mining, Peak Critical Elements, Ugo Bardi | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Far out power #1: human fat, playgrounds, solar wind towers, perpetual motion, thermal depolymerization

Posted on April 26, 2020 by

Preface. Plans for hydrogen, wind, solar, wave and all the other re-buildable contraptions that use fossil fuels in every single step of their short 15-25 year life cycle and hence are non-renewable, are just as silly as the ideas below,  … Continue reading →

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William Rees: Memo from a Climate Crisis Realist: The Choice before Us

Posted on February 4, 2020 by

Preface. I’m going to put Rees’ conclusion of 11 things to do first (rather than the Green New Deal, which can’t possibly work), followed by his arguments for why this needs to be done (if you haven’t read part 1 … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Expert Advice, Experts | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

William E. Rees: Don’t Call Me a Pessimist on Climate Change. I Am a Realist

Posted on February 1, 2020 by

Preface. William E. Rees is professor emeritus of human ecology and ecological economics at the University of British Columbia. He’s one of my favorite ecological writers and has written about energy, limits to growth, overshoot, sustainability and other ecological topics … Continue reading →

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Book review of Vaclav Smil’s “Energy Transitions: History, Requirements, Prospects”

Posted on November 13, 2018 by

Preface.  In my extract of the 178 pages in the book below, Smil explains why renewables can’t possibly replace fossil fuels, and appears to be exasperated that people believe this can be done when he writes “Common expectations of energy … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Energy Books, Vaclav Smil | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Why it is futile to think that Wind could ever make a significant contribution to energy supplies

Posted on April 8, 2018 by

Matt Ridley. May 15, 2017. Wind turbines are neither clean nor green and they provide zero global energy. Even after 30 years of huge subsidies, it provides about zero energy. The Spectator. The Global Wind Energy Council recently released its … Continue reading →

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Booklist: Travel, Psychology, World history, Food, Anthropology, (Auto)biography, Cults, Religion

Posted on January 28, 2018 by

More booklists Travel & Science A Wulf.  The Invention of Nature: The adventures of Alexander von Humboldt, the lost hero of science. R Conniff. The Species Seekers: Heroes, Fools, and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth R Sapolsky. A … Continue reading →

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Conventional economic theory ignores the laws of physics

Posted on November 4, 2017 by

Preface. It’s the energy stupid!  These figures clearly show a link between energy and the economy. Conventional economic theory has to ignore energy or that would prove that there are Limits to Growth.  What follows is from Nafeez Ahmed’s 2017 … Continue reading →

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Energy Crisis Booklist: EROEI, Peak oil, Peak coal, Peak natural gas, Nuclear, Kerogen, Methane hydrates

Posted on October 28, 2017 by

More booklists Laws of physics Professor Tom Murphy, at the University of California, San Diego has a free textbook showing the math and physics of why renewables can’t replace fossil fuels: “Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet. Assessing … Continue reading →

Posted in Book List | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Minerals & Energy from Ugo Bardi’s “Extracted”

Posted on October 5, 2017 by

Preface. This is a small section of Ugo Bardi’s excellent book “Extracted”. His most important observation is that: “The limits to mineral extraction are not limits of quantity; they are limits of energy. Extracting minerals takes energy, and the more … Continue reading →

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