by whiteknight » Wed 10 Aug 2005, 02:15:44
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JudoCow09', 'Y')ou argue that people who are optimistic are in denial while you guys are convinced that you guys have it right and there is no hope. Now you'll just say I'm in denial and need to get over it and realize the truth that we're all doomed to die a horrible flaming death.
Well, lets hit some of the high points that might get missed in the big die off future doom/gloom scenario.
Peak oil means the easy oil will be gone. Easy oil is cheep oil. Thus oil will continue to be pulled out of the ground and as prices go up fields that were at one time not economicly feasable will come online so we aren't going to run out anytime soon. Also other sources will come online, tar sands are making something like 5% of our daily needs now, given time they can help more. Also as prices rise to serious levels ($4 a gallon etc) people will cut back, SUV's will sell for a song and old Geo Metros will be in demand. Alternate methods such as Bio-Diesel and Ethanol will cover gaps as well. At this point they are not cost effective but when gas and diesel hit $4 a gallon they will look cheep by comparison.
Also society will have to shift. WalMarts and Targets will not be practical and with the cost to transport worthless junk from China going through the roof the other box stores will likely suffer. People will be more likely to repair an old VCR/DVD player than pay through the nose for a new one. Fixit shops and mom and pop stores will likely come back. People will walk and bike more, cities will evolve as best they can. Life may not be as easy as it is now, imagine life in the 50's, better idea talk to grandparents and parents about how it was. That will be the model we will devolve to most likely. Not the 1400's as the Amish Paradisers would have you think.
The problem we have here is over the last 30 years we have collectively spent the lives of brown people in countries with oil to keep pissant dictators in office as long as the crude flowed cheeply. Had we let market forces work the price would have steadily rose as easy oil fields dried up and the rise in prices would have been slower, as it sets now we are likley to see 30 years happen in 3 years or less. That means all the inovation that would have come along over that time to resolve the problems needs to happen very fast or we will suffer disruptions.
What disruptions you might ask? Well I think brownouts and blackouts are likely. Find a good diesel generator and make up batches of bio diesel from waste veggie oil you swipe from the greese trap behind Mac's Steakhouse (McDonalds for the humorly chalanged) That ought to keep your frigde and freezer cold. Next disruption, food distubution. Learn to can for the seasons of plenty and learn to cook seasonaly. Find farmers markets and make freinds with the farmers. Trade some of that bio-diesel you make in the garage for their overages and can, freeze, dry or salt whateve you cant eat. Keep 3 months worth of goods around and dont forget the TP and any medicines you cant live without. You wont need to live for three onths on it, but you might need it for a week or two here and there and what you dont use you cna trade with others. Lastly, civil unrest. It is a possibility. Folks get hungry enough they can get a mite stupid. Learn to use a gun and keep plenty of ammo around. Learn to blend. Dont run you rgenerator to keep the lights on when all around you is darkness. If your neighbors are covered in shit and skinny, dont show off your lemony fresh clothing and full belly.
Be prepared as if you were in an area with serious earthquakes that can cause short term disruptions. For long term survival if it does get kinda gloomy and a bit doomy you might want to pick up some pioneere skills, soap making, candle making, jack of all trades fixit man... All good ideas, I'll bet you can come up with a dozen more.
Might not be a bad idea to find a circle of folks who think like you do, talk over ideas and try to keep it sane and rational. Get out of credit card debt, but thats just a good idea no matter the way things go. Decide on what you can and cannot live without. In short keep a level head and think about what is realy important to you.