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.

Debunking ‘Lower Oil Supply Will Raise Prices’

Posted on August 22, 2019

We often hear the statement, “When oil supply is lower, oil prices will rise because of scarcity.” Now, we are getting to see firsthand whether oil prices really do rise, as oil supplies become more scarce. Figure 1 shows that … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Implications | Tagged , , , , | 1,469 Comments

Rethinking Renewable Mandates

Posted on July 31, 2019

Powering the world’s economy with wind, water and solar, and perhaps a little wood sounds like a good idea until a person looks at the details. The economy can use small amounts of wind, water and solar, but adding these types … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy policy | Tagged , , , , | 1,461 Comments

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 , , , , | 880 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