This content is no longer available. It was a pre-publication draft of a section of “Energy Limits to Growth,” a report that will be published in expanded form by Post Carbon Institute and International Forum on globalization in May.
The conservation imperative: energy limits to growth and the path to sustainability – part II
By Richard Heinberg, originally published by Museletter / Global Public Media
February 24, 2009
Richard Heinberg
Richard is Senior Fellow of Post Carbon Institute, and is regarded as one of the world’s foremost advocates for a shift away from our current reliance on fossil fuels. He is the author of fourteen books, including some of the seminal works on society’s current energy and environmental sustainability crisis. He has authored hundreds of essays and articles that have appeared in such journals as Nature and The Wall Street Journal; delivered hundreds of lectures on energy and climate issues to audiences on six continents; and has been quoted and interviewed countless times for print, television, and radio. His monthly MuseLetter has been in publication since 1992. Full bio at postcarbon.org.
Tags: Biofuels, Biomass, Coal, Consumption & Demand, Electricity, Energy Policy, Fossil Fuels, Geothermal, Hydropower, Industry, Marine Energy, Natural Gas, Nuclear, Oil, Photovoltaic, Renewable Energy, Shale Oil, Solar Energy, Solar Thermal, Tar Sands, Tidal Energy, Wave Energy, Wind Energy
Related Articles
Do Beavers Care About Climate Justice?
By Evelyn Byrne, Resilience.org
By moving from seeing nature as something we – a distinct group causing harm – need to protect, to understanding it as a system we are actively involved in, battling climate change becomes less a concept of preservation and more a question of how we can help to shape a world that allows many beings to thrive.
March 6, 2026
The Future of Forests
By Richard Heinberg, Resilience
Human communities have benefitted immensely from trees, but tree communities (i.e., forests) haven’t always fared so well in the bargain. What can we do differently to ensure a forested future?
March 6, 2026
Water and Security in the Middle East: Lessons from the Iranian Crisis
By El Habib Ben Amara, Resilience.org
Water, through its progressive scarcity, is redrawing the map of vulnerabilities and powers. Countries that make its management a factor of internal cohesion and regional cooperation will be better equipped for the decades to come.
March 5, 2026





















