Tom Whipple

One thousand and one, one thousand and two

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If you are listening to me now then you were born in The Age of Oil. A wondrous time when abundant energy has enabled humanity to work technological miracles. With enough energy we can solve any problem. … We are entering a new age, the Post-Peak Oil Age. Now the 100 year folly of modern economics comes to an end. No more fantasies that resources are infinite. No more delusions that growth goes on forever. Just us, all six billion of us, on our precious, fragile little planet. Now comes the hard part.

The world’s biggest pollution factory

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At the root of many of China’s air-quality problems is its heavy dependence on relatively high-sulfur, low-quality coal for everything from electricity generation and industrial production to cooking and space heating in the home. China relies on coal for almost 75% of its energy needs. In fact, each year, China consumes more coal than Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States combined.

The era of peak phosphorus is coming

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You probably heard of peak oil – the idea that global petroleum supplies are about to, or have, passed their peak. But have you ever heard of peak phosphorus? Probably not, but it’s something you’ll hear alot more about in years to come because when the earth’s phosphorus supplies run out, so too will food. It sounds like a doomsday scenario, but my guest today believes deposits of phosphorus could be depleted this century.