I’m reading #Growth: From Microorganisms to Megacities by #VaclavSmil. #books #BookSky

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:5zca2ola2zxpkw37w4f3wxtu/post/3lrl4r4ndmc2e

More #VaclavSmil, less Malcolm Gladwell.

2 “ … designs or practices: they take early-stage #growth rates, often impressively #exponential, and use them to forecast an imminent dominance of emerging phenomena.” - #VaclavSmil, Growth: From Microorganisms to Megacities

2 “ … the long-term preservation of the only #biosphere we have.” - #VaclavSmil, #Growth: From Microorganisms to Megacities.

Vaclav Smil über China, seinen derzeitigen Zustand und seinen absehbaren machtpolitischen Verfall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St2WxA0X0iQ

#Imperien #Imperium #Imperialismus #Empire #Reiche #Großreiche #Entwicklung #Aufstieg #Fall #Rise #Rom #RömischesReich #ChinesischesReich #Reichtum #Machiavelli #VaclavSmil #Aristokratie #Kommunismus #Machtverhältnis #Machtverhältnisse #Wirtschaftskraft #Wirtschaftsmacht #Lebenserwartung #Umweltbelastung #Umweltverschmutzung #Power #Superpower

Size

From the New York Times bestselling author of How the World Really Works, a wide-ranging look at the most fundamental governing principle of our world: size, whose laws, limits, and peculiarities offer the key to understanding health, wealth, and even happiness.

@bookstodon
#books
#nonfiction
#size
#VaclavSmil

Energieexperte Vaclav Smil erkennt den Klimawandel an. Er wendet sich aber, wissenschaftlich fundiert, gegen radikale Ausstiegsszenarien aus fossilen Brennstoffen. Eine Rezension

Ein nüchterner Blick auf die fossilen Grundlagen unseres Lebens – jenseits von Apokalypse und Heilsversprechen. Eine Rezension (Rezension zu Wie die Welt wirklich funktioniert von Vaclav Smil)#Klima #Klimadebatte #Klimakrise #Erderwärmung #fossil #fossileBrennstoffe #fossileEnergie #letzteGeneration #VaclavSmil #Stickstoff #Stahl #Zement #Verkehr #ErdeUmwelt
»Wie die Welt wirklich funktioniert« : Für eine realistische Klimadebatte

History through the lens of energy: a bibliography

Some years back I was asked if there were any books addressing history through the perspective of energy. And so I discovered Vaclav Smil’s excellent Energy in World History, delivering just that, updated two years ago under a new title. The catalogue’s expanded, and following a discussion with Emmanuel Florac (lost with Joindiaspora's demise), I’m expanding my list.

Emmanuel adds Auzenneau. I’ve read Weissenbacher and known of Rodes, and have both Smil’s books. The others are new to me.

Searching Worldcat for books on history and energy:

• Matthieu Auzanneau, Oil, Power, and War: a dark history. Chelsea Green Publishing Co., (2020). https://www.worldcat.org/title/oil-power-and-war-a-dark-history/oclc/1124590359

• Vaclav Smil, Energy in World History. Routledge (1994) https://www.worldcat.org/title/energy-in-world-history/oclc/1124490716

• Vaclav Smil, Energy and civilization : a history. Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, (2018) https://www.worldcat.org/title/energy-and-civilization-a-history/oclc/1134666593

• Manfred Weissenbacher, Sources of Power : How energy forges human history (2 vols). Praeger, (2009). https://www.worldcat.org/title/sources-of-power-how-energy-forges-human-history/oclc/1131512551

• Richard Rhodes, Energy : a human history. Simon & Schuster (2019) https://www.worldcat.org/title/energy-a-human-history/oclc/1134660012

• Economic history of energy and environment. Springer (2016). https://www.worldcat.org/title/economic-history-of-energy-and-environment/oclc/980482798

• Anthony N Penna, A History of Energy Flows : From human labor to renewable power. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, (2020). https://www.worldcat.org/title/history-of-energy-flows-from-human-labor-to-renewable-power/oclc/1119745736

• Cutler J Cleveland, Concise Encyclopedia of History of Energy. Elsevier, (2009) https://www.worldcat.org/title/concise-encyclopedia-of-history-of-energy/oclc/520656249

• Joseph A Pratt, Energy Capitals : Local Impact, Global Influence. University of Pittsburgh Press, (2014). https://www.worldcat.org/title/energy-capitals-local-impact-global-influence/oclc/878918855

(Adapted from https://diaspora.glasswings.com/posts/ee8c190017d501391a81002590d8e506)

#energy #history #EnergyInHistory #VaclavSmil #MatthieuAuzanneau #RichardRhodes #ManfredWeissenbacher #AnthonyNPenna #CutlerJCleveland #JosephAPratt #books #bibliography

The Modern World Can't Exist Without These Four Ingredients. They All Require Fossil Fuels

Four materials rank highest on the scale of necessity, forming what I have called the four pillars of modern civilization: cement, steel, plastics, and ammonia are needed in larger quantities than are other essential inputs. The world now produces annually about 4.5 billion tons of cement, 1.8 billion tons of steel, nearly 400 million tons of plastics, and 180 million tons of ammonia. But it is ammonia that deserves the top position as our most important material: its synthesis is the basis of all nitrogen fertilizers, and without their applications it would be impossible to feed, at current levels, nearly half of today’s nearly 8 billion people.

https://time.com/6175734/reliance-on-fossil-fuels/

Paywall / broken JS: https://archive.ph/7FFlL

HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31395036

Edit: tyop: s/Payall/Paywall/

#VaclavSmil #Postcarbon #FossilFuels #Materials #GlobalWarming #ClimateChange #Limits #LimitsToGrowth #resources #Books

@woozle @Laurelai Also, I cannot recommend Vaclav Smil highly enough for his books on general resource consumption. This includes _both_ energy _and_ materials, in separate texts. Specifically:

Making the Modern World: Materials and dematerialization:
https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/884308960

Energy and Civilization:
https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1020269522

Energy Transitions:
https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/955778608

Creating the Twentieth Century
https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/300316820

#vaclavsmil
#sustainability