Home » Energy (Page 37)
Category Archives: Energy
Does Renewable Energy Have a Higher EROI Than Fossil Fuels?
DOES RENEWABLE ENERGY HAVE A HIGHER EROI THAN FOSSIL FUELS? There is new momentum behind the idea that renewable energy has a higher energy return on investment (EROI) than fossil fuels. That contrasts with decades of consensus that the EROI of oil, for example, ranges from 18 to 35 while the range for solar is from 6 […]
War of the Worlds
War of the Worlds Photo by Benjamin Behre on Unsplash In parallel with – but perhaps not entirely unrelated to – the many technical aspects of the long decline of industrial civilization, my attention is increasingly captured by the massive global geopolitical shift precipitated by the war in Eastern Europe. I incline to believe that this battle is […]
I Warned Against the Green Energy ‘Boom.’ It Sparked Debate
I Warned Against the Green Energy ‘Boom.’ It Sparked Debate Challengers raised points that merit responses. Mine lead to one answer: degrowth. Mining for rare earth metals for ever more battery-driven gadgetry is a vastly destructive and ultimately doomed response to the climate crisis argues the author. Photo via Shutterstock. The best intentions in the world […]
Overshoot: The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change William R. Catton (1980)
Overshoot: The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change William R. Catton (1980) Though, ‘Overshoot’, is ostensibly a book about biophysical limits, the theme that runs through it is about the human propensity for denying obvious facts: Our ability to deceive not only others, but more importantly, ourselves. As with the first review in this four-part miniseries, ‘Farewell to Growth’ (2007), any book […]
The Copper Conundrum
The Copper Conundrum Photo by Denis Yosifov on Unsplash Copper is at the heart of everything electric. It is no exaggeration to say, that our entire “renewable, clean, green” future hinges upon its uninterrupted supply. In fact, according to a recently released report, we would need to mine more of it than what we did during the course of […]
Europe’s Energy Troubles Continue: Hydro And Nuclear Output Declining
Europe’s Energy Troubles Continue: Hydro And Nuclear Output Declining Europe’s hydro and nuclear output is declining, leading to mopre energy troubles. Renewables are struggling to fill the gap as wind and solar output increase. The EU may require increased LNG imports from the US to meet energy demands. Last year, Europe was on the brink […]
MIT Study: Nuclear Power Shutdown Could Lead To Increased Deaths
MIT Study: Nuclear Power Shutdown Could Lead To Increased Deaths A new MIT study indicates that retiring U.S. nuclear power plants could lead to an increase in burning fossil fuels to fill the energy gap, resulting in over 5,000 premature deaths due to increased air pollution. Nearly 20 percent of current electricity in the U.S. […]
Stable Electricity: A Long Slow Goodbye
Stable Electricity: A Long Slow Goodbye Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash Electricity shortages are looming for the UK and Europe, and then later for the rest of the overdeveloped world as well. Blackouts will become common, and you will get power only for a couple of hours a day — just like in countries with a less favorable economic […]
The Green Growth Delusion
THE GREEN GROWTH DELUSION Advocates of “Green Growth” promise a painless transition to a post-carbon future. But what if the limits of renewable energy require sacrificing consumption as a way of life?A tree is surrounded by solar panels in Los Arcos, Spain, on Feb. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos, File) In the annals of industrial […]
The Rising Chorus of Renewable Energy Skeptics
The Rising Chorus of Renewable Energy Skeptics The green techno-dream is so vastly destructive, they say, ‘we have to come up with a different plan.’ Cobalt mining in Congo, says journalist Siddharth Kara, ‘drags humanity back to a time when the people of Africa were valued only their replacement cost.’ Photo via Harvard Kennedy School. “Sometime during […]
The Fed Cannot Fix Today’s Energy Inflation Problem
The Fed Cannot Fix Today’s Energy Inflation Problem There is a reason for raising interest rates to try to fight inflation. This approach tends to squeeze out the most marginal players in the economy. Such businesses and governments tend to collapse, as interest rates rise, leaving less “demand” for oil and other energy products. The […]
“Don’t Talk About Nord Stream”: WaPo Report Further Demolishes Official Narrative
“Don’t Talk About Nord Stream”: WaPo Report Further Demolishes Official Narrative German investigators are now expressing severe doubts about the official Nord Stream sabotage narrative that was pushed hard in the aftermath the bombshell Seymour Hersh report which pointed the finger at a joint CIA-US Navy covert operation, with help from Norway. Last month, Hersh published an article on Substack that said […]
No, Nuclear Energy Won’t Save Us
No, Nuclear Energy Won’t Save Us Soon to be mementos of a lost age. Photo by Lukáš Lehotský on Unsplash Ever since the first commercial reactors have started to produce electricity for the grid in the 1950’s (um, about 70 years ago now…) we keep hearing how nuclear is the clean, green power of the future. No emissions, […]
‘Wind Power Fails on Every Count’: Oxford Scientist Explains the Math
‘Wind Power Fails on Every Count’: Oxford Scientist Explains the Math A wind farm outside of Palm Springs, Calif., on May 26, 2018. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Wind power has been historically and scientifically unreliable, claims an Oxford University mathematician and physicist, with his calculations revealing the government to be pursuing a “bluster of windfarm […]
The Energy Transition Is a Delusion Indeed
The Energy Transition Is a Delusion Indeed The “energy transition” continues to receive thunderous applause from all the usual Beltway suspects, an exercise in groupthink fantasy amazing to behold. For those with actual lives to live and thus uninterested in silliness: The “energy transition” is a massive shift, wholly artificial and politicized, from conventional energy inexpensive (Table […]
