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Category Archives: Alternatives to Oil
Renewables – Good for some things; not so good for others
Based on the sound of the name renewable, a person might think that using only “renewable” energy is ideal–something we should all strive to use exclusively. But there are lots of energy sources that might be called “renewable,” and lots … Continue reading
Posted in Alternatives to Oil, Introductory Post
Tagged biofuels, energy, fossil fuels, Hydroelectric, renewable energy, wind, wind energy, wind turbines
266 Comments
Our Energy Predicament in Charts
A friend asked me to put together a presentation on our energy predicament. I am not certain all of the charts in this post will go into it, but I thought others might be interested in a not-so-difficult version of … Continue reading
Posted in Alternatives to Oil, Financial Implications
Tagged energy, energy predicament, finite world, fossil fuel, oil, oil prices, solar PV, space solar
183 Comments
Why World Coal Consumption Keeps Rising; What Economists Missed
A primary reason why coal consumption is rising is because of increased international trade, starting when the World Trade Organization was formed in 1995, and greatly ramping up when China was added in December 2001. Figure 1 shows world fossil … Continue reading
Posted in Alternatives to Oil, Energy policy, Financial Implications
Tagged China, coal, economists, fossil fuel, India, international trade, Kyoto Protocol, oil leverage, recession
59 Comments
Why Natural Gas isn’t Likely to be the World’s Energy Savior
We keep hearing about the many benefits of natural gas–how burning it releases less CO2 than oil or coal, and how it burns with few impurities, so does not have the pollution problems of coal. We also hear about the … Continue reading
Posted in Alternatives to Oil
Tagged coal, fracking, natural gas, natural gas exports, oil
91 Comments
The Long-Term Tie Between Energy Supply, Population, and the Economy
The tie between energy supply, population, and the economy goes back to the hunter-gatherer period. Hunter-gatherers managed to multiply their population at least 4-fold, and perhaps by as much as 25-fold, by using energy techniques which allowed them to expand … Continue reading
Posted in Alternatives to Oil, Book draft, Food issues, Introductory Post
Tagged coal, deforestation, economy, electricity, energy supply, erosion, GDP, hunter-gatherer, Hydroelectric, oil, peat, petroleum, population, soil fertility, top soil
158 Comments
