<Should EROEI be the most important criterion our society uses to decide how it meets its energy needs? The Oil Drum DrumBeat: August 21, 2008>

156 comments on Oil Demand Destruction & Brittle Systems

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tommyvee on August 20, 2008 - 11:37am Permalink | Subthread | Comments top

Market-driven efficiency can be either more or less brittle than existing systems.
For example:
1) Riding a bicycle or insulating a house makes an individual more resilient in the face of energy price increases or shortages.
2) But turning the thermostat down to 40 F in a poorly insulated house is less resilient because any energy supply interruption will result in pipes freezing and other systemic damage.
Not sure how one could determine what percentage of adaptation is increasing or decreasing resiliency.

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redcoltken on August 20, 2008 - 12:20pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Been thinking along those same lines - what adds to resilience and what subtracts from it?

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thewatcher on August 20, 2008 - 12:50pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Hi redcoltken

IMO the biggest contributor that adds to it is complexity. Our 'global' civilization is hideously complex and vulnerable to disruption, either of oil supplies or the grid. I've just read Alex Scarrows book 'Last Light' which, although a fictional novel, does bring home just how many days we would be from anarchy if the power went down. Even individual self-sufficiency would be no good if the hungry mob turned up at your allotment. Scary!

tw

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156 comments on Oil Demand Destruction & Brittle Systems

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