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Creative Commons License
Tag Archives: economic growth
Don’t expect the world economy to resume its prior growth pattern after COVID-19
Most people seem to think that the world economy is going through a temporary disruption, caused by a novel coronavirus. As soon as COVID-19 goes away, they expect the economy will be back to normal. I think that this assessment is overly optimistic. The way I see the situation, the world economy was already having severe growth problems, caused indirectly by resource problems, even before COVID-19 hit. Continue reading
Posted in Financial Implications
Tagged China coal, economic growth, oil prices, resource shortages
3,576 Comments
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
3,373 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
Increased Violence Reflects an Energy Problem
Why are we seeing so much violence recently? One explanation is that people are sympathizing with those in the Minneapolis area who are upset at the death of George Floyd. They believe that a white cop used excessive force in … Continue reading
Posted in Financial Implications
Tagged Covid-19, economic growth, low oil prices, Vitamin D, wage disparity
2,617 Comments
