[gego]

Sure is a bummer to have out-of-touch parents and be at the age where you have your own mind (apparently a good mind exploring concepts such as peak oil), but are still dependent on parents.

If your parents will allow you to acquire a good, standard hunting rifle, then I would get them to get you one, or get them to allow you to get one for yourself. I would stock up on ammo also if you have a convenient place to store it. Also, I would keep hacking at your parents' intellectual defenses that do not allow them to confront the reality of a dismal future. Unfortunately, parents think they know everything, so do not count on them to see a dramatically different future from what they live, and from what they believe will happen.

I would expose myself to skills that would be valuable in a non-electric society. I would make it a point to meet girls from the country who might have parents with property in a rural area. If you are going to college, find one that has a more rural orientation. If you have any interest in agriculture, animal science, etc. then I would focus on that in college as an avenue out of the danger of an urban lifestyle.

You have as your primary responsibility your own survival. You have the bad luck to have been born when you were, but you could not have come into existence at any other time, so you must make the most of your situation. You are only four or eight years away from where you can break away to full responsibility for your own life, so unless you can get your parents to see the reality you see, you are stuck in a waiting game, forced to limit your planing to the constraints imposed by your dependence.

Good luck; I have a 13 year old grandaughter who is aware of the peak oil problem, but who is relying upon her 61 year old grampy, me, to prepare her path into the future, and I feel the heavy responsibility. I have chosen a rural self sufficiency lifestyle as my path, and I can only hope that this is what will work during the great dieoff of the next 30 years.

[mortifiedpenguin]

Just one thing- don't get into Scouts. It reeks of bullshit. Trust me, I'm 14, I've been in it for years, and it's not as fun as everyone says. I can't get out- my parents won't let me.

Sure, you learn survival skills in Scouts, but you can also learn survival skills without having to waste time in Scouting. Tell you what, I'll teach you a ton of survival skills free of charge. In fact, I'll teach you survival skills using only a few keystrokes. Ready? Here we go!

www.fieldsurvival.com

Aren't I great? I just saved you a lot of time and money!

[Phil]

As for convincing your parents, you might somehow acquire the film, The End of Suburbia (maybe a generous member of this community could mail you a pirated copy), and convince them to at least sit and watch an excellent documentary. I suspect this would be easier than getting them to sit down and read for several hours.

I commend your intellectual curiosity, which is all too rare in people.

Another thing, consider yourself lucky to live in the Northwest, which I believe has good prospects for regional stability, and sustainability.

[Wednesday]

the signs are everywhere, your parents cant argue with the rising cost of living, you can tell them that you want to help them save money and youre starting out with potatoes, then go dig a hole in the yard and fill it with good things

stress is a lot easier to deal with when you arent hungry

leave the doom and gloom to the experts and focus on learning how to produce yummy healthy food, who can argue with that?

most of all have fun, and dont give into fear but realize that your generation will make history, and the future is up to you

there are people who are quite invested in making you afraid, dont give into it, its a lie

[oowolf]

This site should get you off-and-running:
http://www.frugalsquirrels.com/survival ... vival.html
Get the US Army survival manual (from library or:)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 53978&rd=1
Good luck.

[madison]

So good to see a young person with PO knowledge and a seeking heart.

My advice would be:

Stay out of debt, never get into it, pay cash and live within your means.

Acquire knowledge - read (use the library, THEN buy the books you find essential), use the internet (print stuff into binders), take a class in gardening.

Stay healthy and strong. Eat well, low on the food chain, stay away from fast foods, drink lots of water. Exercise, be strong and as fit as you can. Get a bike and use it for transportation.

Do well in school. Take advantage of a free education while you can. Reading, writing, math - all good stuff, believe it or not You may have to educate your own kids some day with what you learn now. Read alternative versions of what you are taugh (esp in history), get an overview of history and of your place within it. We live in interresting times, but reading and learning how others have lived will help us all.

Determine to be happy. DECIDE you WILL be happy, healthy and rich in what really matters - loved ones, good work, hopeful living. Read lots from the Dalai Lama, a man who knows how to remain hopeful despite circumstances; I think he is an amazing person with a wonderful outlook on life.

You do not have to convince your parents. Instead of convincing them, TEACH them by your actions. Learn to garden (even if it's just container gardening at first) and they will learn, too. Learn how to sew, and they will be curious as to why you are doing it. Learn to bike, and they will wonder why. Learn to eat healthfully and learn to cook from scratch, and they will eat with you and discover real food.... You get the picture.

And your part of the country is easy to grow things in, and has abundant water - very important.

Good luck!!

[Nairb]

I'm also 14 and in the scouts. my parents wont let me quit out of them. As much as I hate to say it they do provide you with exersize and skills, such as knots, shelter building, etc. (really its just military for the kids so watch out!)

[PhilBiker]

None of us really can prepare, though we like to think we can. The whole world is going to be turned upside-down by this and there's no way to forsee what's coming.

Be aware I suppose is the best thing you can do.

[Doly]

Madison's advice in general is quite good. I would still try to convince your parents, though. They won't listen to you because very few parents think that their children can teach them anything. But I'm sure there are people that they respect. Think: who do they respect? And is there any person warning about peak oil that belongs to a group that they respect? Now that peak oil is going mainstream and there are many different people who believe it's going to happen, you should be able to find an opinion that your parents will respect.

[SvenFrost]

I agree with most of what everyone on this page has offered.

However, I most agree with those who recommend learning and with Madison's advice to "do well in school."

I cannot emphasize to you enough that doing well in school is the single most important thing you can do for your and your family's survival, no matter the scenario.

Doing well will allow you to attend a good university and pursue the types of careers that will ensure a good lifestyle whether or not the peak oil doomsday scenario actually occurs. It will also allow you to earn the funds needed to prepare.

In my opinion, the most valuable careers, those that will be in the most demand whether there is a catastrophe or not, and that will provide you with a better than average lifestyle and income, peak or not, are those in the medical, veterinary and engineering fields. More than that, these are careers that will make you invaluable in a worst case scenario. However, these are all careers where you have to be on the ball, educationally speaking, at an early stage in life.

You will be entering high school in the next year or so, if you have not already. High school grades count. Almost as important are substantial extracurricular activities. They are the main criteria that admission coordinators use to determine who is worthy to attend their fine institutions.

Theoretically I knew this at an early age, but I failed to follow through, and consequently became a tax attorney. This is not a skill likely to be useful in a worst-case scenario.

Doing exceptionally well in school is the wisest investment in their own and their family's future that a young person can make. It will allow you to prosper in good times and bad.

[MattSavinar]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Leaf', 'I') read Matt's books last year and refer to it from time to time. Its pretty solid and lays out a good format. Its easy to read and has good info it in it for new-introduced to peak oil...or those of us who have read and know peak oil for sometime. i enjoy how he laid out the alternitive energy debate..I use what he says often when I try to bring up peak oil to people who say the alternatives will save us.
One point I STRONGLY!!!! Disagree with is his assesment of the future he thinks the USA 15 years post peak oil will look like modern day Russia???? Unmmm I dont think Matt has been to Russia...unmm last I looked modern day Russia's are vastly into permaculture and are not underfeed..we have a great public transport and near everyone owns a garden and grows their own food....So I would like to see Matt revise his view of Russia. I think curently Russia is a better place then the USA to live! Freindly people good health system, lots of culture, pretty women ...Not that bad here really!
Its a pretty good book overall..but about 80% is already laid out on his website. Really no need to buy his book unless you want his...idea of 911 conspiricy...you can buy Rupperts book on that if you think Dick Cheney was the Wizzard of OZ behind the 911 scene.
Out of 5 stars I give it 4.
leaf

[Revi]

I couldn't sleep after I read Matt's book. I think it's good to spur people to action with the cold hard facts. I wish we could also have a how to manual for the average person that outlines what to do. I don't think it'll be a hard crash, but I may be wrong. Overall it is a very readable book that lays it all out. I'd rather be told the truth about the situation. I agree that it's a bad one to give to relatives to convince them. John Howe's book The End of Fossil Energy and a plan for sustainability is much better to give out. He avoids politics and includes a plan to step down energy use 5% per year. Savinar's book is for us hard core peakers. I loved it, but I love what I call "uh oh" books. They are nonfiction books which have you turning the pages saying uh oh! His is on my list for the best of that genre.

[Jdelagado]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('stu', 'T')he website and book that first bought awareness about PO to myself and doubtless many others.

Savinar lays out all of the facts that you need to understand about Peak Oil and all of the implications of it. Starting with what is Peak Oil he then moves to to discuss why other forms of oil extraction will not work and then proceeds to do the same thing with alternative energys. Finally he paints a very grim picture of a future defined by resource wars, food riots and a mass die off.

If you are introduced to PO through this book then it will probably scare the crap out of you. Savinar paints the most bleakest picture possible. Even going so far as to say that we should develop a sense of humour because we are all going to die anyway.

However his style of writing is easy to read as he starts each section with a question relating to PO and then answers it, which gives the reader easy access to information.

Very pessimistic but also very informative.

Rating=***

[Jdelagado]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Leaf', 'D')on't know if anyone told you but Richard Heinberg is a conspiricy theory holder also. Matt Sav. has good reading I also enjoy Kunstler and agree with Kunstler on being alergic to conspiricy thoery. Yeah matt goes into the conspiricy in the last few pages of his book..."you wouldn't know Matt held this view until the end of his book by the way" Anyway its like this...I dont want to throw away my dictionary becasue I dont agree with some of the words in there...Their is alot of good info in matts book...one needs to make a balance...and when you want to say things like..Richard Heinberg is great...Matt crack head....and then I look at both writters and they both agree on near all issues...conspiricy also...next time think before you write...i don't think you have read much of Richard Heinberg's writtings if so you wouldnt be so quick to call Matta kook and Richard Heinberg a near saviour...

[MattSavinar]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jdelagado', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('stu', 'T')he website and book that first bought awareness about PO to myself and doubtless many others.

Savinar lays out all of the facts that you need to understand about Peak Oil and all of the implications of it. Starting with what is Peak Oil he then moves to to discuss why other forms of oil extraction will not work and then proceeds to do the same thing with alternative energys. Finally he paints a very grim picture of a future defined by resource wars, food riots and a mass die off.

If you are introduced to PO through this book then it will probably scare the crap out of you. Savinar paints the most bleakest picture possible. Even going so far as to say that we should develop a sense of humour because we are all going to die anyway.

However his style of writing is easy to read as he starts each section with a question relating to PO and then answers it, which gives the reader easy access to information.

Very pessimistic but also very informative.

Rating=***

[MattSavinar]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jdelagado', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Leaf', 'D')on't know if anyone told you but Richard Heinberg is a conspiricy theory holder also. Matt Sav. has good reading I also enjoy Kunstler and agree with Kunstler on being alergic to conspiricy thoery. Yeah matt goes into the conspiricy in the last few pages of his book..."you wouldn't know Matt held this view until the end of his book by the way" Anyway its like this...I dont want to throw away my dictionary becasue I dont agree with some of the words in there...Their is alot of good info in matts book...one needs to make a balance...and when you want to say things like..Richard Heinberg is great...Matt crack head....and then I look at both writters and they both agree on near all issues...conspiricy also...next time think before you write...i don't think you have read much of Richard Heinberg's writtings if so you wouldnt be so quick to call Matta kook and Richard Heinberg a near saviour...

[jesus_of_suburbia_old]

I find Matt, his personality, and some his lap dogs on this forum who practically hero worship him to be rather repellent. He sometimes addresses bogus cricticism like a thirteen-year-old when he should be professional enough to let it slide. I also hate it when he acts if he is the funniest motherf-er to ever walk the face of the earth.

That being said, I do appreciate the fact that he is spreading the word on peak oil and not sparing some of the ugly details. I think the people who attack him for a lack of credentials in energy, environmental studies, thermodynamics etc. need to realize that he gets his information from the people who have credentials in energy, environmental studies, thermodynamics etc. I will also give him props for getting his material on the floor of the House.

I haven't looked into the 9/11 stuff to make a clear judgement. So, I suppose anything is possible.

Is that fair enough for you? You &*#%$!*bag.