LifeItself

In this post, I explain the logic of wishful thinking and plain denial that rules on the Earth in most matters that matter (population growth, power (= energy per unit time) supply, water supply, food supply, progressing destruction of planetary ecosystems, and so on).   I imply throughout that without an ample and continuous supply of power as liquid fuels, chemical feedstock and electricity, the societal activities we take for granted are impossible. I start from formulating a grand postulate that is self-evident, given the finite volume of the Earth's lithosphere and the law of mass conservation: ( The Grand Postulate ) If all hydrocarbon resources in the Earth’s mantle are finite (= A) then there is peak rate of hydrocarbon production   (= B) [as these resources are gradually depleted]: A implies B or A → B This Grand Postulate is logically equivalent to its contrapositive: if not A then not B:  (not A = ~A)  → ~B: If hydrocarbon resources are...

Dr. Erle C. Ellis is an associate professor of geography and environmental systems at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, where he teaches environmental science, landscape ecology and biogeochemistry.  He would remain anonymous to most of us, had he not written a New York Times editorial, " Overpopulation is not the problem ."  Later, Dr. Ellis attempted to explain himself in more detail as a guest blogger for Andrew C. Revkin. Upon reading this rare gem of technobabble, I asked the students in my class, E4: Earth, Environment, Energy, and Economics , to read it and express their own thoughts in up to 740-word essays.  I never commented on Ellis' editorial, so as not to influence opinions of my class.  Just like Revkin, I have encouraged some of the students to publish in my blog. The New York Times, September 14, 2013. The image is by Katherine Streeter. What follows is a sample of the students' essays. Not all is lost yet... Brien Allen is from Ker...