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It’s a New Era
It’s a New Era This dynamic–making problems much worse by forcing more of whatever worked in the previous era into a saturated, increasing unstable new era–receives little attention or understanding. Eras may last decades, and only those who’ve lived long enough to recall previous eras have experienced the transition from one era to the next. The […]
Energy requirements and carbon emissions for a low-carbon energy transition
Energy requirements and carbon emissions for a low-carbon energy transition Abstract Achieving the Paris Agreement will require massive deployment of low-carbon energy. However, constructing, operating, and maintaining a low-carbon energy system will itself require energy, with much of it derived from fossil fuels. This raises the concern that the transition may consume much of the […]
Rising authoritarianism and worsening climate change share a fossil-fueled secret
Rising authoritarianism and worsening climate change share a fossil-fueled secret Around the world, many countries are becoming less democratic. This backsliding on democracy and “creeping authoritarianism,” as the U.S. State Department puts it, is often supported by the same industries that are escalating climate change. In my new book, “Global Burning: Rising Antidemocracy and the Climate […]
One Great Big Nasty Prediction for 2023
One Great Big Nasty Prediction for 2023 Welcome to 2023! The New Year’s edition of the Economic Prism is a place of wild conjecture and rough suppositions. A place where abstract thinking is celebrated. Imaginative cycle theories, deep metaphysics, fractal wave patterns, happy accidents, and amateur fortune tellers of all stripes are invited too. Today, […]
Struggling farmers face another challenge with diesel shortage
Struggling farmers face another challenge with diesel shortage Three generations of the Heinrich family of farmers in front of a combine that Tim, right, says can go through 150 gallons of diesel fuel on a busy day. Heinrich family As if this year hasn’t been rough enough on the agriculture community, farmers can now add […]
Austrian Defense Minister Warns Europeans Are Unprepared For Days-Long Blackouts
Austrian Defense Minister Warns Europeans Are Unprepared For Days-Long Blackouts Leaving one third of citizens unable to “supply themselves.” SOPA Images via Getty Images The Austrian defense minister has warned that Europeans could face blackouts that go on for days, leaving one–third of citizens unable to “supply themselves.” Klaudia Tanner made the comments during an […]
2022 — A Year-End Contemplation
2022 — A Year-End Contemplation Another year has passed (almost), yet the world didn’t collapse. We have got close to nuclear annihilation — probably closer than we’ve ever had — yet we are still here. The long decline of our High-Tech civilization in general, and the Western empire in particular works on different timescales than […]
Nuclear Fusion: Don’t Believe the Hype!
Nuclear Fusion: Don’t Believe the Hype! Photo by Ilja Nedilko In a dramatic scientific and engineering breakthrough, researchers at the Bay Area’s Lawrence Livermore National Lab recently achieved the long-sought goal of generating a nuclear fusion reaction that produced more energy than was directly injected into a tiny reactor vessel. By the very next day, pundits […]
Texas Refineries Could Take Two Weeks To Fully Restore Operations After Storm
Texas Refineries Could Take Two Weeks To Fully Restore Operations After Storm Most refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast have begun procedures to restart operations that were disrupted by the massive winter storm late last week, but a full return to normal output of motor fuels could take up to two weeks for some facilities. […]
Fusion!
Fusion! How hydrogen fusion will save us (or not) A recent breakthrough in an experimental fusion reactor has created a shock-wave of news rippling through mainstream media. Writers from all stripes waxed lyrical how this is a major step forward, and how it brings us closer to a ‘clean, safe, almost limitless’ energy source. Reality though […]
Eastern US Power Grid Declares Emergency, Power Outages Top One Million, Flight Disruptions Persist Amid Storm Chaos
Eastern US Power Grid Declares Emergency, Power Outages Top One Million, Flight Disruptions Persist Amid Storm Chaos The powerful winter storm that battered a large swath of the eastern half of the US has left behind an Arctic chill Saturday morning. A regional power grid with 65 million customers in 13 states and the District […]
The US Northeast is hurtling toward a winter heating crisis
The US Northeast is hurtling toward a winter heating crisis Linda and her husband, Jeff Grossman, has been hit hard by the cost of home heating oil. She’ll probably end up spending $3,200 this winter for oil, about 60 percent more than last winter.MATTHEW J. LEE/GLOBE STAFF In the most densely populated corner of the […]
Peak US Oil Production Looms as the Domestic Shale Boom Ends
Peak US Oil Production Looms as the Domestic Shale Boom Ends After a decade of losing hundreds of billions of dollars, the shale oil industry is finally making money — and running out of oil. A lone pumpjack in Loving County, Texas, in the Permian Basin. Credit: Justin Hamel It appears that the U.S. fracking […]
