Energy


fueling the future

Modern industrial civilization was built on fossil fuel energy, but climate change, overpopulation and resource scarcity require that we find other ways to power our societies — and fast. The energy problems the world faces are too big, too complex, and coming too fast for us to responsibly hope that new technologies or new discoveries will save the day. Unfortunately, the decline of our most important energy source—petroleum—is already underway, and the resulting supply and price volatility will make investment in alternative infrastructure increasingly more difficult.

There are many things we must do to transition away from oil, coal and natural gas, but the most important are these: Reduce our consumption of fossil fuels. Use what fossil fuels we have more efficiently. Develop renewable energy sources and technologies. Decentralize energy production so that communities can power themselves from local energy sources.

videos

Richard Heinberg keynote BCEA 2013

length: 46:53   credit: Renewable Energy Alaska Project

Post Carbon Senior Fellow Richard Heinberg explains our energy predicament.

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associated fellows

latest related publications

Post Carbon Institute Goes to Washington

Asher Miller    May 31, 2013   

It may be an exaggeration to say that the nation's capital was built on a swamp, but being there with temperatures hovering at 90°F (32°C) and humidity at nearly 100%, you can see why … >>

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So Much Wasted Energy - Rethinking food waste

Philip Ackerman-Leist    May 20, 2013   

This is the final part of our serialization of Chapter 4 (Energy) from the latest Resilience guide, "Rebuilding the Foodshed: How to Create Local, Sustainable & Secure Food Systems". … >>

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REPORT: Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Shale Gas Compared to Coal: An Analysis of Two Conflicting Studies

David Hughes

A recent series of studies and rebuttals have debated the greenhouse gas impacts of shale gas production as compared to coal. Post Carbon Institute Fellow David Hughes, author of the … >>

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Power from the People

Greg Pahl

More than ninety percent of the electricity we use to light our communities, and nearly all the energy we use to run our cars, heat our homes, and power our factories comes from large, … >>

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