Tom Murphy: The Fossil Fuel Joyride Is Over

Tom Murphy, associate physics professor at the University of California San Diego, projects energy needs for future enerations to argue that current ways of living are unsustainable. Disputing the argument that technology can save humanity from a peak oil crisis, Murphy states, “the fossil fuel joyride that we have experienced has clouded our judgment.”

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RETHINKING SUSTAINABILITY

Growth has an Expiration Date

Tom Murphy, Associate Professor of Physics, University of California San Diego

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Tom Murphy is an associate professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego. He currently leads a project to test General Relativity by bouncing laser pulses off of the reflectors left on the Moon by the Apollo astronauts, achieving one-millimeter range precision.

Murphy’s keen interest in energy topics began with his teaching a course on energy and the environment for non-science majors at UCSD. He has explored the quantitatively convincing case that our pursuit of an ever-bigger scale of life faces gigantic challenges and carries significant risks.