A short history of peak oil preparation

Frankly, when I first learned about peak oil, I was a bit freaked out. But after time, a little too much wine, a lot of research, and some productive action, I recovered, and went on to slowly change my attitude, expectations, and lifestyle to accommodate a radically different reality from the one I previously knew.

Here’s a year-by-year summary of the last five years of my efforts at peak oil preparation in three key areas: Short term (Emergency planning), Medium term (Economic / Financial crash), and Long term (Sustainable Future). Keep in mind, this does not cover the first, and perhaps most important area of preparation: psychological adjustment.

I first had to mentally adjust from the “normal” middle-class expectation of general peace and prosperity, a steady career, and an easy retirement, to an expectation of rapid change, potential austerity, and the need for self-sufficiency combined with an awareness of my interdependence on the people surrounding me. Accompanying this change in expectations is my ongoing search for meaning in a world that, in the future, may no longer provide comfort and progress the way I once thought it would.

Is this a model or perfect plan? No. It’s just an actual report of what one person has been doing….

Energy Bulletin