issuesComplex, interconnected issues must be dealt with rapidly and effectively if we are to achieve a resilient future.
explore the issues
support pci
The Last Refuge
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.
Post Carbon Senior Fellow Richard Heinberg explains our energy predicament.
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 … >>
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". … >>
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 … >>
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, … >>
In Rebuilding the Foodshed Philip Ackerman-Leist refocuses the local-food lens on the broad issue of rebuilding regional food systems that can replace the destructive aspects of industrial agriculture, meet food demands affordably and sustainably, and be resilient enough to endure potentially rough times ahead.
read more
meet our fellowsPCI has gathered 30 of the world's leading experts on a wide range of interdependent social and scientific issues.
learn more
what is pci?Founded in 2003, Post Carbon Institute is leading the transition to a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable world. The Institute has gathered 30 of the world's leading experts on a wide range of interdependent social and scientific issues.
learn more
