Staff

Phosphorus matters: soil erosion & contamination

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…the world reserves of phosphate rocks, which are used for the production of phosphate fertilizers, are declining. They can be depleted even this century. The problem with the lack of phosphate fertilizers does not start, however, when all phosphate rock reserves are gone. It starts as soon as the demand for phosphate fertilizers exceeds the supply of phosphate rocks available for export… And this situation may appear within the next 10-20 years.

…So, what can we do?

Q&A: Peak Oil and Public Health

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Tim Parsons, director of Public Affairs, discussed the “peak oil” theory, or the point at which the maximum production rate for the world’s oil is reached, with Brian Schwartz, MD, professor in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences and co-director of the School’s Program on Global Sustainability and Health. Once the peak is passed, oil production is expected to decline continuously. …Schwartz explains how future demand for energy could impact on our society and our health.

The peak oil crisis: renovating suburbia

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Not everything about the suburbs will be a downside when the era of cheap fossil fuel comes to an end. Nearly all suburban dwellings have broad roofs and yards that are suitable for collecting some form of solar or in some places wind energy. In many cases, suburban yards are suitable for growing food or perhaps even raising poultry or other small livestock.

Dr. Chu’s Hearing leaves me worried

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The testimony from Dr. Chu at his Hearing to become Secretary of Energy suggests that he holds the view that there is a significant amount of time available before the need for replacement fuels becomes critical, this is a view that is more optimistic than many of those who write for these sites hold.