The True Value of Energy is the Net Energy
A Photographic Tour of a Natural Gas Well in the Marcellus Shale
Recently I had the opportunity to attend a tour of a natural gas well in Troy, Pennsylvania, courtesy of Talisman Energy USA. Founded in 2002 as Fortuna Energy, Talisman Energy USA is a subsidiary of Talisman Energy Inc., of Canada. They are currently producing over 100 wells in New York and Pennsylvania with 200 miles...
Energy Transitions and the Next “Paradigmatic Image of the World”
The history of modern humankind has undergone two major energy transitions, marked by the invention and development of agriculture and the discovery and exploitation of oil. The two energy transitions partition human history into three phases: hunter-gatherer, agricultural, and industrial. Faber et al. (1996) refer to these phases as “Paradigmatic Images...
What Does “Peak Oil” Mean to You?
The “Don’t Fear the 2010s” article written by Nick Gillespie of the Wall Street Journal featured a section on Peak Oil and, after reading it, I found myself uttering the famous words of Homer Simpson: “Doh.” The article claims that "something always gets in the way" of peak oil,...
Reflections from ASPO: Contradiction, EROI, and Future Energy Supplies
One feature of this year’s ASPO conference that I most enjoyed was the contradiction amongst presentations. Marcio Mello gave an animated talk on Sunday night about the pre-salt formations off the coast of Brazil quoting that there are upwards of 500 billion barrels of oil...
Annual Conference on Biophysical Economics
Following the ASPO conference in Denver, the State University of New York - College of Environmental Science and Forestry will host the 2nd annual conference on Biophysical Economics. Joseph Tainter is this year's plenary speaker, and will discuss biophysical economics and the collapse of complex societies. Other speakers include Gail the Actuary...
