Is electricity really the lifeblood of civilization?

We are currently in a deep and horrible disaster, being visited on the world’s poorest and the tentacles are gradually crawling up the anchor to take down the rest of the ship. But I also think that there is a good deal of reason for hope – we have vast capacities, vast resources and vast imagination.

One thousand and one, one thousand and two

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.