A Diesel Powered Civilization: Part 1 – a Gigantic Ponzi Scheme
By The Honest Sorcerer, November 2024
Without diesel fuel — the lifeblood of transportation, agriculture, mining and construction — civilization would grind to a halt. Despite knowing for decades that the source of this fuel — oil — is a finite resource, we still haven’t been able to find a scalable replacement. What we have found ourselves in, instead, is a massive Ponzi scheme: where we constantly need to add “newer and better” energy sources just to keep the system going… Thereby perpetuating the use of coal, oil and gas despite their grave impacts on the environment, and worsening returns on investment.
See also: Part II: Coping With a Difficult Reality
In Their Words…
In this two part series I’m going to address the quandary of energy extraction, and how civilization tries to adapt to the worsening consequences of the depletion of rich mineral and petroleum deposits. Note: my goal is not to ruin your day or give life-changing or investment advise, but to offer a solid understanding of our situation and to lay out a map of possibilities.