Monthly Archives: April 2010
Review: Tipping Point—Near Term Systemic Implications of a Peak in Global Oil Production
Civilisation depends on the availability of increasing flows of concentrated energy. We are on the threshold of contracting flows of concentrated energy and its partial substitution by diffuse energy. It is intuitively obvious that the net withdrawal of concentrated energy … Continue reading
Posted in Peak Oil
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The real lesson of Eyjafjallajokull
John Michael Greer, writing today in his ever insightful blog “The Archdruid Report”, reminds us of the real lesson of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption: nature cannot be ignored with impunity. He isn’t talking about volcanoes—he is talking about the turning … Continue reading
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The future of public debt: prospects and implications
Public debt levels rose dramatically after the 2008 peak oil shock as governments recapitalized banks and defibrillated their sclerotic economies with large cash injections. Many OECD countries now register public debt at around 100% of GDP. Although unpleasant, this is … Continue reading
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The UK election
This country has £1 trillion national debt, a £250 billion hole in its pension system, a ballooning retired population and a collapsing working population. We depend macro-economically on oil production for balance of payments, foreign exchange, interest rates and inflation—and … Continue reading
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The end of airlines
Here is the airline’s business model and problem in a nutshell: use cheap fuel to propel people between healthy economies. Economies have flatlined, and fuel is becoming too expensive to burn. The global aviation business model is dead.
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Posted in Economics
Tagged aviation, british airways, collapse, oil price, Peak Oil, strike
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