{"id":67026,"date":"2024-03-25T05:47:53","date_gmt":"2024-03-25T10:47:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/?p=67026"},"modified":"2024-03-25T05:47:53","modified_gmt":"2024-03-25T10:47:53","slug":"todays-contemplation-collapse-cometh-lxxix-non-renewable-renewable-energy-harvesting-technologies-nrreht-a-paradox-for-our-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/?p=67026","title":{"rendered":"Today\u2019s Contemplation: Collapse Cometh\u00a0LXXIX–Non-Renewable Renewable Energy-Harvesting Technologies (NRREHT): A Paradox For Our Times?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Today\u2019s Contemplation: Collapse Cometh\u00a0LXXIX<\/strong><\/h3>\n

November 24, 2022 (original posting date)<\/p>\n

Chitchen Itza, Mexico. (1986) Photo by\u00a0author.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Non-Renewable Renewable Energy-Harvesting Technologies (NRREHT): A Paradox For Our Times?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A short contemplation after reading Richard Heinberg\u2019s latest\u00a0article<\/a>\u00a0and the apparent paradox that is evident in the musings of a number of writers in the energy-ecology nexus.<\/p>\n

Paradox: \u201c\u2026having qualities that seem to be opposites\u201d (<\/em>Reference<\/em><\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n

In his latest post, that highlights the failings of the \u2018renewable\u2019 energy transition, Richard Heinberg seems to be arguing in terms of contradictory assertions, and ones which I am not sure can be overcome\u200a\u2014\u200aat least, not without exacerbating our primary predicament of ecological overshoot[1]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On the one hand he points out the significant failings, limitations, and negative consequences of NRREHT, but on the other argues for our pursuing them at great haste so as to attain a \u2018soft landing\u2019 for our species\u2019 inevitable energy descent.<\/p>\n

For example:
\n1) Greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase despite an increase in NRREHT (in other words, their distribution\/use is supplementing continued economic growth\/consumption);
\n2) NRREHT require continued and increased use\/extraction of non-renewable resources that are already demonstrating declining marginal returns (i.e., their scarcity is already apparent);
\n3) There is competing evidence\/data regarding the availability of materials\/minerals as to whether even a single generation of NRREHT can be produced to substitute for fossil fuel energy;
\n4) The energy costs of recycling suggests even in a best-case scenario NRREHT simply kicks-the-can-down-the-road for industrial civilisation;
\n5) NRREHT continue to require industrial production processes that degrade the environment and destroy ecological systems\u200a\u2014\u200aperhaps just at a slightly less intensive rate.<\/p>\n

While he does also argue for a significant powering-down of our energy-intensive ways\u200a\u2014\u200aperhaps the easiest and most straightforward means of slowing down the speed of our destruction\u200a\u2014\u200aI fear the concerted push for NNREHT he also argues for does little but, via A LOT of denial and bargaining, simply kicks-the-can-down-the-road in terms of confronting our predicament (especially as it pertains to significant and necessary fossil fuel inputs as well as the negative impacts upon ecological systems and mineral resource communities\/regions).<\/p>\n

My sense is that despite all the obvious pitfalls of NNREHT and significant negative consequences (particularly ecological) they will continue to be pursued with this strategy sold\/marketed as the \u2018solution\u2019 to transitioning from fossil fuels.<\/p>\n

This will not be the first time that our ruling caste and profiteers have leveraged a \u2018crisis\u2019 to enrich themselves\u2026but it may well be the last.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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A handful of other views\/comments within the energy-ecology nexus regarding \u2018renewables\u2019 (in no particular order and all have some great insights\/arguments):
\nGail Tverberg<\/a>:\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.
\nSimon Michaux<\/a>:\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.
\nUgo Bardi<\/a>:\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.
\nAlice Friedemann<\/a>:\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.
\nPeak Prosperity<\/a>\u00a0(Chris Martenson\/Adam Taggert):\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.
\nThe Honest Sorcerer<\/a>:\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.
\nErik Michaels<\/a>:\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.
\nRa\u00fal Ilargi Meijer<\/a>:\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.
\nRob Mielcarski<\/a>:\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.
\nJohn Michael Greer<\/a>:\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.
\nTim Watkins<\/a>:\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.
\nTim Morgan<\/a>:\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.
\nKurt Cobb<\/a>:\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.
\nMike Stasse<\/a>:\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.
\nCharles Hugh Smith<\/a>:\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.
\nNate Hagens<\/a>:\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Another view on Heinberg\u2019s article can be found\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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[1]<\/a>\u00a0See\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>,\u00a0this<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0this<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today\u2019s Contemplation: Collapse Cometh\u00a0LXXIX November 24, 2022 (original posting date) Chitchen Itza, Mexico. (1986) Photo by\u00a0author. Non-Renewable Renewable Energy-Harvesting Technologies (NRREHT): A Paradox For Our Times? A short contemplation after reading Richard Heinberg\u2019s latest\u00a0article\u00a0and the apparent paradox that is evident in the musings of a number of writers in the energy-ecology nexus. Paradox: \u201c\u2026having qualities […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3,4,5,6,7],"tags":[150,22093,33927,6089,5833,30370,33947],"class_list":["post-67026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-economics","category-energy-2","category-environment","category-geopolitics","category-liberty","category-survival-2","tag-collapse","tag-ecological-overshoot","tag-non-renewable-renewable-energy-harvesting-technology","tag-paradox","tag-steve-bull","tag-todays-contemplation","tag-todays-contemplation-collapse-cometh"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=67026"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67026\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67027,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67026\/revisions\/67027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=67026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=67026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=67026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}