Tag Archives: energy

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 , , , , , , , | 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 , , , , , , , | 183 Comments

Energy Leveraging: An Explanation for China’s Success and the World’s Unemployment


If an employer wants to maximize profits, it will want to leverage its use of high-priced energy sources.  From an employer’s point of view, there are basically three kinds of energy, from most to least expensive: Human energy Petroleum energy Everything … Continue reading

Posted in Energy policy, Financial Implications | Tagged , , , , , , , | 116 Comments

How Energy Shapes the Economy


In the beginning, the Master Economist created the Economy.  He created businesses large and small, consumers, governments with their regulation, and financial institutions of all types. And the Master Economist declared that the economy should grow. And it did grow, … Continue reading

Posted in Book draft, Financial Implications, Introductory Post | Tagged , , , , , , | 68 Comments

Humans Seem to Need External Energy


Strange as it may seem, humans seem to have evolved in a way that we have a need for external energy, such as energy from burning wood or fossil fuels. While the evidence is not 100% certain, it appears that … Continue reading

Posted in Book draft, Financial Implications, Introductory Post | Tagged , , , , , , | 138 Comments