Richard Heinberg, world-renowned author and educator, musician, artist, and husband to Janet, passed away on July 19, 2026, at the age of 75, from pancreatic cancer. He was the award-winning author of 14 books and known the world over as an expert on sustainability issues. A former professor at New College in Santa Rosa, Richard served as Senior Fellow for the international think-tank Post Carbon Institute for nearly 20 years.
Richard was born October 21, 1950, and grew up in Saint Joseph, Missouri. From an early age, Richard was drawn to music, community, and the fate of the natural world. In his early 20s, he played electric guitar and violin in rock bands, and formed the Society of Integrated Living (SOIL) while living in Toronto, Canada. He first became a scholar, writer, and speaker as part of an international spiritual community, through which he met his wife Janet Barocco. In 1992, a short newspaper article on the depletion of oil sent Richard on a path of exploration and communication about the energy and sustainability crisis, a journey that led him to start his own monthly newsletter, The Museletter, which he published for 400 consecutive months.
This journey eventually led Richard to co-develop and teach the pioneering BA program at New College on Culture, Ecology, and Sustainable Community. He authored a dozen books, delivered hundreds of talks around the world, including at the European Parliament, penned thousands of articles, including in places like The Wall Street Journal and Post Carbon Institute’s website resilience.org, and was featured in magazines, television, and film. Richard’s first book on the energy crisis, The Party’s Over: Oil, War, and the Fate of Industrial Societies, was lent by former President Bill Clinton to the New Yorker writer David Remnick, “full of underlinings and what looked like the most serious undergraduate’s markings, with lots of exclamation points.” Millions of people around the world have read or viewed Richard’s books, essays, or videos.
Richard was also an accomplished musician, playing violin locally in Santa Rosa in string quartets and occasionally with the Sonoma County Philharmonic. Nerve damage in his fingertips forced him to end a 60-year career as a violinist, but Richard quickly pivoted five years ago to learn piano through intense study and daily practice of ragtime, early Jazz, blues, and stride piano. Richard’s passion for music was eclectic, ranging from classical music to the Grateful Dead to early New Orleans Jazz. He and his wife Janet made an annual pilgrimage to his beloved second city, New Orleans, for the French Quarter Music Fest.
A true polymath constantly engaged in learning and new horizons, Richard had a remarkable way of distilling extremely challenging and complex topics down to their essence. He was adored by those lucky enough to work with or meet him, and known for his quick wit, humility, gentleness, and cheerful truthtelling about the human predicament.
A Celebration of Life is being planned for early October. To share your memories or appreciation of Richard, and to get updated information about memorial plans, please visit https://lnk.to/remember-Richard. To honor his memory, please consider donating to Post Carbon Institute or an environmental nonprofit of your choice.