Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Tag Archives: economic models
Spike in energy prices suggests that sharp changes are ahead
Now, through several iterations, the economy has become increasingly complex, with less and less redundancy to provide stability. The energy price spike that is being experienced today is a warning that something is very, very wrong. As I see the situation, the trend toward complexity has gone too far; the economic system is starting to break down. Sharp changes appear to be ahead. The world economy is shifting into contraction mode, with more and more parts of the system failing. Continue reading
Posted in Financial Implications
Tagged collapse, complexity, economic models, high oil prices, Seneca cliff, stability
4,474 Comments
Why stimulus can’t fix our energy problems
Economists tell us that within the economy there is a lot of substitutability, and they are correct. However, there are a couple of not-so-minor details that they overlook: There is no substitute for energy. It is possible to harness energy … Continue reading
Posted in Financial Implications
Tagged economic models, inadequate demand, oil demand, oil price, peak oil
880 Comments
Why we get bad diagnoses for the world’s energy-economy problems
The world economy seems to be seriously ill. The problem is not overly high oil prices, but that does not rule out energy as being a major underlying problem. Two of the symptoms of the economy’s malaise are slow wage … Continue reading
Posted in Financial Implications
Tagged debt bubble, economic models, limits to growth, oil price, peak oil
2,136 Comments
Why Standard Economic Models Don’t Work–Our Economy is a Network
The story of energy and the economy seems to be an obvious common sense one: some sources of energy are becoming scarce or overly polluting, so we need to develop new ones. The new ones may be more expensive, but … Continue reading
Posted in Financial Implications, Introductory Post
Tagged collapse, economic models, networked systems, oil price, oil substitution, peak oil
967 Comments
Why a Finite World is a Problem
Why is a finite world a problem? I can think of many answers: 1. A finite world is a problem because we and all of the other creatures living in this world share the same piece of “real estate.” If humans … Continue reading
Posted in Financial Implications
Tagged climate models, debt limits, economic growth, economic models, finite world
437 Comments
