Author of nine books, including The Party’s Over, Peak Everything, and the newly released Blackout, Richard Heinberg is widely regarded as one of the world’s most effective communicators of the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels. With a wry, unflinching approach based on facts and realism, Mr. Heinberg exposes the tenuousness of our current way of life and offers a vision for a truly sustainable future.

Senior Fellow-in-Residence at Post Carbon Institute, Mr. Heinberg is best known as a leading educator on Peak Oil—the point at which we reach maximum global oil production—and the resulting, devastating impact it will have on our economic, food, and transportation systems. But his expertise is far ranging, covering critical issues including the current economic crisis, food and agriculture, community resilience, and global climate change.

Mr. Heinberg’s latest book, Blackout: Coal, Climate, and the Last Energy Crisis, brings critical information to the debate about coal’s role as a continuing energy source in the face of climate change. Blackout sends a powerful message: With less than 20 years before US coal production peaks and no viable means to produce “clean coal,” the need to transition entirely to renewable energy is even more critical.

Mr. Heinberg is a much sought-after speaker and has presented in dozens of countries and across the United States. He’s featured in many documentaries, including End of Suburbia and Leonardo DiCaprio’s film 11th Hour. Mr. Heinberg has appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America, Canadian Broadcasting Television, BBC, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and Al Jazeera, as well as numerous radio programs (national NPR) and print publications (Time magazine).