Author Archives: Gail Tverberg

About Gail Tverberg

My name is Gail Tverberg. I am an actuary interested in finite world issues - oil depletion, natural gas depletion, water shortages, and climate change. Oil limits look very different from what most expect, with high prices leading to recession, and low prices leading to financial problems for oil producers and for oil exporting countries. We are really dealing with a physics problem that affects many parts of the economy at once, including wages and the financial system. I try to look at the overall problem.

Why stimulus can’t fix our energy problems

Posted on July 10, 2019

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 , , , , | 400 Comments

Seven Reasons Why We Should Not Depend on Imported Goods from China

Posted on June 12, 2019

It seems to me that the situation in China is far different from what most people think it is. Even if we would like to depend on China, we really cannot. Reason 1. When we depend on goods from China, … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Implications | Tagged , , , | 890 Comments

Why it (sort of) makes sense for the US to impose tariffs

Posted on May 22, 2019

Nearly everyone wonders, “Why is Donald Trump crazy enough to impose tariffs on imports from other countries? How could this possibly make sense?” As long as the world economy is growing rapidly, it makes sense for countries to cooperate with … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Implications | Tagged , , , , | 1,341 Comments

The climate change story is half true

Posted on April 30, 2019

The climate change story is true in some respects: The climate is indeed changing. And CO2 emissions do seem to affect climate. Burning fossil fuels does indeed make a difference in CO2 levels. The problem I have with the climate … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Implications | Tagged , , , , | 1,529 Comments

The true feasibility of moving away from fossil fuels

Posted on April 9, 2019

One of the great misconceptions of our time is the belief that we can move away from fossil fuels if we make suitable choices on fuels. In one view, we can make the transition to a low-energy economy powered by … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Implications | Tagged , , , | 1,253 Comments