Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
Once, black caviar from the Caspian Sea was ubiquitous in Russia in its typical blue cans. Now, it has disappeared. “Peak Caviar” has taken place around 1980 in Russia. … “Peak Caviar” is another confirmation of how common the “Hubbert” behavior is. It doesn’t matter if a resource is theoretically renewable, as sturgeons and whales are. If sturgeons or whales are killed much faster than they can reproduce, then they behave as a non renewable resource; just as crude oil.
The newly formed Global Phosphorus Research Initiative (GPRI) promises to “undertake quality transdisciplinary research on sustainable global phosphorus resources for future food security.” Their website has articles on peak phosphorus and the importance of phosphorus.
Pat Murphy’s Plan C is a rich treasury of practical suggestions for reducing fossil fuel consumption and fostering community cooperation—while Lyle Estill’s Small is Possible is an engrossing portrait of a small Southern town that is already taking these steps
Richard Heinberg: Coal in China
Aluminium supply in deficit on coal shortage – UBS
Equipment shortage slows US coal output growth-CEO
Scientists warn of lack of phosphorus as biofuels raise demand
Fertiliser shortage hits India’s farms
Food for thought
Energy farm experiment in Kentucky
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.
Mexico’s battle over oil
Export Land Model in Mexico
Limits of economic growth in Latin America
Perfect storm for fertilizer prices
‘Nitrogen cascade’ – threat to ecosystems
High cost of fertilizer makes livestock manure attractive
Military cracks down on scrap-metal scavengers
Metal theft plagues troubled neighborhoods
Some homes worth less than their copper pipes
Copper theft could have been deadly
Preventing home copper-tubing theft
Steel once again a hot commodity
Nitrogen fix – nature’s way to make fertilizer
Australian Compost Week (half a billion dollars of compost)
No relief in sight for high fertilizer prices
PotashCorp quotes Borlaug: ‘without fertilizer, forget it. The game is over.’
Rob Hopkins: The wonder of the worm
How to make fertilizer out of thin air
Protein possibility for post-peak: the meat beast
NY Times: Shortages threaten farmers’ key tool: fertilizer
Vietnam’s farmers face paradox of the paddy
Scotsman: Global fertiliser shortage looming
