Gail Tverberg

What happens when energy resources deplete?

by

One view is that energy prices will rise, substitutes will be found, and prices will come back down again, perhaps settling at a somewhat higher equilibrium reflecting the cost of producing the substitute energy source… Another view, popular among those concerned about peak-oil, is that oil and energy prices will just keep rising. If scalable substitutes aren’t found, some expect that oil prices will rise from their current price of $75 barrel, to $100 barrel, to $200 barrel, to $300 barrel, and eventually to $1,000 barrel or more.

Peak Moment 173: Transitioning to the Elm Street Economy

by

How can you contribute your skills towards meeting real needs now and in the future? Paul and Sarah Edwards, the authors of Home-Based Business for Dummies, focus on the “Elm Street Economy” of locally-owned businesses rather than “Main Street”, which we hear so much about, but is comprised mainly of franchises. In the Elm Street Economy, local businesses meet local needs — for food, shelter, clothing, heating, electricity, healthcare, and other products…

Haitian farmers: so all can eat, produce it here

by

We’re putting together a national network, RENHASSA, to show what our alternatives are today. The whole peasant sector is coming together to tell everyone about the policies we want. Our mission is to advocate for Haiti to be sovereign with its food and to promote national production.

A special gathering along the lake

by

The Slow Money Alliance, an organization that seeks to build networks and develop new financial products and services to invest in small food enterprises and local food systems, connecting investors to their local economies, and building the “nurture capital” industry, held its national gathering at beautiful Shelburne Farms, Vermont on Thursday and Friday of last week.

Vision of the future : Dune

by

Science-fiction tells us more about the dreams, hopes, and fears of a time than about any actual form the future could take. It may, however, sometimes offer us a glimpse through a glass, darkly, of how this future might come to be. That is why Kunstler’s The World Made by Hand and Greer’s Star’s Reach are so interesting to read. They are not the only novels on this subject, however. Other science-fiction classics, not necessarily of the post-apocalyptic sub-genre, may help us to grasp what the fundamentals of a post-peak society could be. Frank Herbert’s Dune is one of those.

How to be ‘Fast, Fresh, and Green’ in the kitchen [book review]

by

Like recycling, listening to NPR, and caring about the World Cup, everyday cooking has become a de rigeur activity for those with certain class and cultural aspirations. And that’s as it should be. We need more home cooks. If diversified, human-scale, community-directed farms are going to thrive, then a much broader swath of the population has to know how to turn raw ingredients into dinner — and do it regularly.

Global scenarios for the century ahead: searching for sustainability

by

Building on earlier work of the Global Scenario Group and the Stockholm Environment Institute – Boston, this paper presents four updated and contrasting global scenarios for the twenty-first Century created with the PoleStar modeling system. These scenarios feature brief narratives and integrated quantifications across numerous economic, social, resource, and environmental dimensions.

Interview with Albert Bates sustainability activist extraordinaire

by

Albert Bates is an expert in: permaculture, biochar, agriculture, law, politics and probably a few areas I’ve forgotten to mention. He’s been a leading thinker and practitioner of sustainable living since he became a resident of The Farm in 1972. This wide-ranging interview will explore his thoughts on many topics – a must hear interview!!