Increasing complexity correlates with increasing flows of energy into a system. Increasing flows will necessarily be turned into greater complexity until a limit is reached, and as a corollary the increasing flows cannot occur without ramifying, growing complexity to provide an outlet for conversion of fuel to kinetic energy and heat. If some organism, like humans, achieving a sufficient level of complexity in the ecosystem, were to turn that complexity toward seven greater sources of energy, then even greater complexity would be required to drain-off that energy from the newly found gradient. But mankind not only found the fossil fuels, its technological conversion placed the existing organic stores of energy in a whole new light,not a slightly positive EROEI resource, but with new technological tools the EROEI increased greatly, as with the use of spears, arrows,slings, guns, chainsaws etc. and the slaughter began. Or, once the fossil fuels were brought into use, the EROEI of harvesting the natural flora and fauna simply didn’t matter any longer, it was loose change. The increasing body mass of more complex apex predators may have limited heat loss to such an extent that enough energy was available for the development of the ultimate organic complexity –the brain.

One of the pinnacles of complexity but only one planet to plunder.

If we accept that complexity and consumption will grow by necessity as long as more energy is available, then we can equally conclude that organic and technological systems are always pushing the limits of complexity and that to justify its existence, the complexity must insure a regular and steady flow of energy. This is no problem for the organic system where oceanic and land plants generally set the limits to the growth and complexity that may be supported. The technological system however has achieved great complexity without insuring a steady and long-lasting flow of energy into its conduits. If the energy gets cut-off at the base, all of the complexity will come crashing down and there will be no reset (sorry gold and silver hoarders). And yet, the technological society has been encouraged by the availability of massive amounts of fossil fuel energy to create non-remunerative complexity (in energy terms) that boggles the mind. Business people essentially asked themselves the question, “Well, we’ve got all of this energy, what can we do with it?” The Rockefellers and Henry Ford offered some complexity in the form of cellular assembly-line factories and a product, cars,that could easily get the flow going from the oil gradient. Given that humans evolved the same way, a manifestation of complexity emanating from an ample flow from the plants upwards in the ecosystem, equipped with dopamine and opioids, it was only natural for humans to see the fossil fuels as a means to greater reward,wealth and power. The technological complexity evolved as the flow of fuel increased over decades, limited only by the rapidity in which it could be dug or pumped from the earth and burned.

These soldiers may eventually be deployed to insure a steady flow of oil for the Kansas City Nascar race.

Even today there is little thought given to the diminishing energy resources. Instead we are introduced to great new projects like space stations on Mars, self-driving cars, The Silk Road, and others that are supposed to be a natural evolution of the complexity, except they forgot that the new complexity will not be funded by available and dwindling energy supplies. A typical case of getting the cart before the horse or building a cart after the last horse has died. “If we decide to do it (more complexity), the energy will come.” This is a sure path to a massive collapse but no one was paying attention, they were all thinking of a way to create some complexity, build something, market something and skim some of the profit for themselves. I think it’s a given that populations will always elect governments that promise more or give the electorate the impression of ever greater evolution of complexity as if we’re rich in energy and that all you have to do is wait for greater rewards. Humans are unrepentant users of energy and pursuers of rewards and not only do they pursue rewards for most of their waking hours, their brains are captive to evolved biases that make ignoring their growing peril very easy.

Space X Trip to Mars Rockets in comparison.