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.

Energy Is the Economy; Shrinkage in Energy Supply Leads to Conflict

Posted on November 9, 2020 by Gail Tverberg

It takes energy to accomplish any of the activities that we associate with GDP. It takes energy to grow food: human energy, solar energy, and–in today’s world–the many types of energy used to build and power tractors, transport food to … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Implications | Tagged , , , | 2,764 Comments

Fossil Fuel Production Is Reaching Limits in a Strange Way

Posted on October 15, 2020 by Gail Tverberg

Strangely enough, the limit we seem to be reaching with respect to fossil fuel extraction comes from low prices. At low prices, the extraction of oil, coal, and natural gas becomes unprofitable. Producers go bankrupt, or they voluntarily cut back production in an attempt to force prices higher. As the result of these forces, production tends to fall. This limit comes long before the limit that many people imagine: the amount of fossil fuels in the ground that seems to be available with current extraction techniques. Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Implications | 2,885 Comments

Reaching the End of Early Stimulus – What’s Ahead?

Posted on September 23, 2020 by Gail Tverberg

Many people thought that COVID-19 would be gone with a short shutdown. They also thought that the world’s economic problems could be cured with a six month “dose” of stimulus. It is increasingly clear that neither of these assumptions is … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Implications | Tagged , , , , | 2,450 Comments

Today’s Energy Predicament – A Look at Some Charts

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Gail Tverberg

Today’s energy predicament is a strange situation that most modelers have never really considered. Let me explain some of the issues I see, using some charts. [1] It is probably not possible to reduce current energy consumption by 80% or … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Implications, Introductory Post | Tagged , , , | 2,368 Comments

We Need to Change Our COVID-19 Strategy

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Gail Tverberg

We would like to think that we can eliminate COVID-19, but doing so is far from certain. The medical system has not been successful in eliminating HIV/AIDS or influenza; the situation with COVID-19 may be similar. We are discovering that … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Implications | Tagged , , , | 2,353 Comments