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
A New Wave of Collaboration for Our Oceans
By Ecosystem Restoration Communities Staff, Ecosystem Restoration Communities
In January, we launched a brand-new Marine Ecosystems Community of Practice – a collaborative initiative bringing together four Ecosystem Restoration Communities (ERCs) working at the frontlines of coastal and marine restoration.
April 3, 2026
Preserving Local Seeds, Sustaining Rural Life
By Umed Qurbonbekov, Home Planet Fund
In Tughgoz village, located in the remote Ishkashim District of Tajikistan, agriculture is more than a livelihood — it is the foundation of daily life. Like many rural communities in the region, village residents rely on their land, local knowledge, and traditional seed varieties to sustain their families and protect their future.
April 2, 2026
Cities: Canary in the Coal Mine?
By Christopher Haines, Resilience.org
The easiest and cheapest means of reducing warming is increasing vegetation in rural areas; eliminating bare soil, especially the millions of acres produced by industrial agriculture, addressing erosion and aridification, and restoring forests, which will also increase fire-resistance, reducing the need for the far-more complex and expensive changes required in suburban and urban areas.
April 2, 2026





