Category Archives: Scarcities and constraints

My PhD research: how scarcities and constraints work and affect innovation.

Book review: McAfee (2019), More from Less

Posted on November 15, 2019 by

This is an interesting book which could be a good book if its key message – that technology and capitalism will decouple economic growth from resource use in time to prevent serious ecological disruption – were supported by research. This, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecomodernism, Economy and the Environment, Scarcities and constraints | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Post-scarcity: a research review (in progress!)

Posted on March 8, 2018 by

I’ve been slowly going through research literature on post-scarcity and so-called scarcity, abundance and sufficiency (SAS) school of thought. TL;DR version: post-scarcity economy, where the economic problem of production has for all intents and purposes been solved and all the basic … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy and the Environment, Notes in process, Scarcities and constraints | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Necessity is the mother of inventors: my PhD lecture

Posted on December 15, 2017 by

The following is the traditional Lectio praecursoria a doctoral candidate in Finland gives to the audience before his/her PhD defence. This one is mine, delivered on 12th December 2017. Esteemed custos, esteemed opponent, ladies and gentlemen! You all are probably … Continue reading →

Posted in History of technology, Innovation, Scarcities and constraints | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

100% renewables and 100% nuclear are both practically impossible

Posted on November 14, 2016 by

I’ve been following with interest how some nuclear power advocates are suggesting that building anything else than nuclear power is sidetracking us from the climate goals. These advocates claim that variable, non-dispatchable renewables will not be ultimately capable of delivering … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecomodernism, Economy and the Environment, Energy, Innovation, Nuclear energy & weapons, Scarcities and constraints | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Graphic of the Week: The hidden “fuels” of renewable energy

Posted on November 29, 2013 by

It is well known that there is no such thing as a free lunch. However, it is somewhat less known that there is no such thing as free energy, either. Despite all the hoopla about new renewable energy sources being … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecomodernism, Infographics, Scarcities and constraints | Tagged , , , , | 40 Comments

On the relationship between regulation, technological change and competitiveness

Posted on August 21, 2013 by

Translation of my presentation in the 38th Ilmansuojelupäivät in Lappeenranta, Finland, 20.8.2013 If we deconstruct the topic of the panel, “is environmental protection a threat or an opportunity to a country’s competitiveness,” sooner or later we will end up considering … Continue reading →

Posted in History of technology, Innovation, Scarcities and constraints | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

What the necessity mothers: energy shortage and the development of copper smelting furnaces, 1900-1980

Posted on May 20, 2013 by

An old adage tells us that necessity is the mother of invention. But if necessity were the prime mover of invention, why, then, there are so many really nifty technologies – say, antigravity – that would be obviously useful, yet … Continue reading →

Posted in History of technology, Innovation, Scarcities and constraints | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Crises are “come as you are” events, not springboards, simulations say

Posted on August 15, 2011 by

My PhD research topic deals with resource constraints and, by implication, resource shocks such as the oil crisis of 1973 – and the current slow-mo energy crisis. What I’m trying to do is to sort out whether sudden constraints, such … Continue reading →

Posted in Notes in process, Scarcities and constraints, Simulations | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment