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Category Archives: Financial Implications
2021: More troubles likely
Most people expect that the economy of 2021 will be an improvement from 2020. I don’t think so. Perhaps COVID-19 will be somewhat better, but other aspects of the economy will likely be worse. Continue reading
Posted in Financial Implications
Tagged economic forecast, economic growth, fossil fuel supply, oil price
1,453 Comments
2020: The Year Things Started Going Badly Wrong
Some might describe the energy story as a “diminishing returns” story, but it’s really broader than this. It’s a story of services that we expect to continue, but which cannot continue without much more energy investment. It is also a story of the loss of “economies of scale” that at one time helped propel the economy forward. Continue reading
Posted in Financial Implications
Tagged collapse, Covid-19, diminishing returns, economic growth, peak oil
2,805 Comments
Humans Left Sustainability Behind as Hunter-Gatherers
Many people believe that humans can have a sustainable future by using solar panels and wind turbines. Unfortunately, the only truly sustainable course, in terms of moving in cycles with nature, is interacting with the environment in a manner similar to the approach used by chimpanzees and baboons. Even this approach will eventually lead to new and different species predominating. Continue reading
Energy Is the Economy; Shrinkage in Energy Supply Leads to Conflict
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
Fossil Fuel Production Is Reaching Limits in a Strange Way
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
