It is often stated that the economic profession is the most opportunistic of all, often shifting from one perceived problem to the other, with the problems often being not even closely related. Many times, these perceived problems are seeped in myths that society chooses to accept as truth: the myth of perpetual motion; the myth of inexhaustible, renewable energy sources; the myth of evaded ecological difficulty. This article seeks to conduct a simple analysis of the energy aspects of man’s existence in order to discover ecological problems. The main topics covered include mechanics versus thermodynamics, the entropy law and economics, accessible energy and accessible matter, disposable waste, myths about mankind’s entropic problem, possibilities for growth, the steady state, some basic bioeconomics, and modern agriculture.
