Understanding Energy Slaves: the blog posts

After I completed and published my 84-page comic Energy Slaves, I took time to ask myself “what does it all mean?”. This led to a 6,500 word essay, which I have split up into seven blog posts. The essays each cover distinct topics, but could easily be read as one flowing thread.

Don't worry, there are plenty of illustrations to look at, scattered throughout the posts!

Here is the list of individual posts:

Hidden in plain sight: our invisible slaves

Imaginary  ‘energy slaves’ perform work on behalf of human beings. They are  ‘hidden in plain sight’, because they make our lifestyles so effortless.  Essay 1 / 7.                    

The mind, but not the muscle: understanding Energy Slaves

Did  you know that an entire year of typical human exercise only equals the  equivalent of 14 litres of gasoline (petrol). Energy powers our human  lifestyles. Essay 2 / 7.                                      

Building up steam: our civilisation’s history of collecting energy slaves

Energy has allowed people to magnify their impact on the natural world. This essay charts human civilisation's history of gathering energy from fossil fuels. Essay 3 / 7.                    

Diminishing returns: understanding ‘net energy’ and ‘EROEI’

At the heart of my Energy Slaves  comic is the concept 'EROEI' (energy returned on energy invested)  a.k.a. 'net energy'. I explain this concept using the analogy of an  apple orchard. Essay 4 / 7                                      

Powered by energy: the many layers of civilisation

Our  civilisation has many layers, including industry, education, and  healthcare. These layers are only possible because of fossil fuel energy  surpluses. Essay 5 / 7.                    

Living within limits:
low-energy lifestyles

Our  lifestyles require vast amounts of energy. Will we be able to  transition to low-energy alternatives that provide similar levels of  happiness and satisfaction? Essay 6 / 7.                                      

All part of the problem: our collective wastes of energy

It is easy to single out certain people for wasting energy. This essay discusses how we are all part of the problem. We all waste energy on a large scale. Essay 7 / 7.