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Tag Archives: peak oil
How the Economy Works as It Reaches Energy Limits — An Introduction for Actuaries and Others
Why have long-term interest rates generally fallen since 1981? Why have asset prices risen? Can these trends be expected to continue? The standard evaluation approach by actuaries and economists seems to be to look at past patterns and assume that … Continue reading
Posted in Financial Implications
Tagged energy limits, low oil price, oil price, peak oil
1,257 Comments
Why the Standard Model of Future Energy Supply Doesn’t Work
The most prevalent view regarding future oil supply, as well as total energy supply, seems to be fairly closely related to that expressed by Peak Oilers. Future fossil fuel supply is assumed to be determined by the resources in the … Continue reading
Posted in Financial Implications
Tagged EROEI, EROI, high oil prices, low oil prices, peak oil
1,124 Comments
The Depression of the 1930s Was an Energy Crisis
Economists, including Ben Bernanke, give all kinds of reasons for the Great Depression of the 1930s. But what if the real reason for the Great Depression was an energy crisis? When I put together a chart of per capita energy … Continue reading
Will China Bring an Energy-Debt Crisis?
It is easy for those of us in the West to overlook how important China has become to the world economy, and also the limits it is reaching. The two big areas in which China seems to be reaching limits … Continue reading
Posted in Financial Implications
Tagged China coal, China economy, CO2 emissions, peak coal, peak oil
1,825 Comments
Why Oil Prices Can’t Bounce Very High; Expect Deflation Instead
Economists have given us a model of how prices and quantities of goods are supposed to interact. Unfortunately, this model is woefully inadequate. It sort of works, until it doesn’t. If there is too little of a product, higher prices … Continue reading
Posted in Financial Implications
Tagged collapse, exports, imports, low oil prices, peak oil, supply and demand
2,280 Comments
