Craig Constantine

Our energy predicament in charts →

Published September 3, 2013 · All posts on Sep 3

There is considerable evidence that we are already reaching the situation where governments are encountering financial distress of the type shown in Figure 18. With wages being depressing in recent years (Figure 16), it is difficult to collect as much taxes as required. At the same time, expenses are elevated to handle the many issues that arise (such as payments to the unemployed, subsidies for alternative energy, and the higher costs of road repairs due to higher asphalt costs). The big gap between revenue and expense makes it hard to fix our current financial predicament, and increases the likelihood of political problems.
~ Gail Tverberg from, Our Energy Predicament in Charts

slip:4uteno4.

The Fukushima disaster continues →

Published August 22, 2013 · All posts on Aug 22

…if you manage to bust a fuel element, the best outcome is that huge amounts of radioactivity escape into the air and blow over Japan, just like before. The worst outcome is when two of these things get too close, perhaps because in pulling one out it breaks and falls against another one in the tank. Because then you suddenly have lots of fission, a lot of heat, a meltdown, possibly a big blast like before, and the destruction of the entire cooling pond. Or else the water boils off and the whole thing catches fire.
~ From, «http://www.redflagnews.com/headlines/alert-fukushima-worse-than-chernobyl-now-in-crisis»

Easily retrievable asteroids? →

Published August 17, 2013 · All posts on Aug 17

For decades, science fiction writers and various space scientists have pointed out that asteroids offer a huge untapped source of valuable resources. Bringing just a small portion of this back to Earth could be a game changer for our planet.
~ from, «http://www.technologyreview.com/view/518046/new-class-of-easily-retrievable-asteroids-discovered/»

Peak oil →

Published July 2, 2013 · All posts on Jul 2

We can see that PPUE for most regions peaked around 2000. The big exceptions being Canada in 1992 and Europe and Africa in the mid 2000s. What this means for the majority of the world is that in little over ten years the average number of barrels of oil a single rig produces has almost halved. Put another way oil companies have had to double the number of rigs in operation just to maintain oil production at 2000 levels. This is the very definition of drilling faster just to stay still.
~ Andrew McKay from, Drilling Faster Just To Stay Still: A Proposal To Use ‘Production Per Unit Effort’ (PPUE) As An Indicator Of Peak Oil

slip:4uteno1.

One way to gauge the cost/effort of producing oil is via Production Per Unit Effort (PPUE).

“Peak oil” is not simply about the quantity of oil being produced; it is about the cost/effort of producing oil. For most of the history of petroleum production, the cost/effort was decreasing or steady. But now the cost/effort is increasing; That’s an inflection of the second derivative of the cost/effort versus production relationship.

High-fructos corn syrup is bad for bees? →

Published May 30, 2013 · All posts on May 30

Specifically, they found that when bees are exposed to the enzyme p-coumaric, their immune system appears stronger—it turns on detoxification genes. P-coumaric is found in pollen walls, not nectar, and makes its way into honey inadvertently via sticking to the legs of bees as they visit flowers. Similarly, the team discovered other compounds found in poplar sap that appear to do much the same thing. It all together adds up to a diet that helps bees fight off toxins, the researchers report. Taking away the honey to sell it, and feeding the bees high-fructose corn syrup instead, they claim, compromises their immune systems, making them more vulnerable to the toxins that are meant to kill other bugs.
~ Bob Yirka from, Researchers find high-fructose corn syrup may be tied to worldwide collapse of bee colonies