[Run4TheHills]

I talked to a few people yesterday to see if "Peak Oil" meant anything to them....as I expected, no knew or gave a shit. They just whine when they see petrol here for $1.06 per litre (that's about US $3.12/Gal)

No one sees why it's going up....supply/demand!! They're ignoramasus's.

Even my mother still seems to think oil won't run out in her lifetime and she's only 56. Maybe it won't but is she going to pay $20 a litre when demand outstrips supply by a large margin????

My wife's about as ignorant as it get as she seems to think no fuel just means no using the car. I explained to her about "how the hell do farmers grow crops, industry produce goods, retailer get good to us??"

I saw a post earlier about not being scared about it happening but rather everyone else's reaction.

Personally I have moved away from a city area where there's little rainfall and poor soil (Perth - WA). I now live in Victoria (Aus) in a small quiet valley surrounded by mountains, permanent rivers and 4 hydro power stations not too far from here.

I'm turning the lawn into fruit tree areas, collecting re-usable sealable glass jars, prparing my shed as a store area. Also reading up on self sufficiency and anything else that may come in handy.

This is what I call my tier 1 plan. It assumes that not much happens in the way of major riots or war (read invasion by some hostile country).

Given any dangerous situation, time for tier #2 where I head for a secret spot where there is a large underground water storage facility and off memory must be power as there are lights. I'd tow a caravan with provisions there and dig in.

Been making a list of food that keeps and other things needed for preserving and being self sufficient.

One thing's for sure.... big cities won't survive if oil or more to the point if oil for transport ceases to be available.

Another point which was made well is...prepare now. Not much point "looking for a flashlight when the lights have gone out!"

If you leave your planning, action until the other 99.9% start panicing then it's too late. Food will be stripped off shelves in the mater of hours, people will attempt to hoarde fuel at the last minute and find queues or nothing.

Given most poeople only keep about 1 or 2 months worth of food at any one time, expect anything once food runs out (this assumes you have no means of replacing anything you have).

Of course...like in the movies I'm sure there will be gangs that pillage, rape, murder and will basiacally try to take what they can from people who are prepared.

That's my say.

I hope things don't get bad but I'm doing a bit of planning in case.

Ok...ok... I'm sure some people still believe nuclear power, wind, or even coal will rescue us. Ever tried to mine uranium and get it overseas without scoops, trucks, refining plants, ships? I saw the accounts for a coal mining company...they are VERY reliant on oil for their operations. It takes a lot of coal to keep coal fired powerstations up and running. Try doing it with horses, manpower or other non-mechanical means!

Wind power is fine until you need to service the equipment. A bit of grease for the turbines? New rotar (which came for a you-beut synthetic polymer - read oil derivative).

[Pops]

That is the thing 'Run:
"Another point which was made well is...prepare now. Not much point "looking for a flashlight when the lights have gone out!"

IMHO, right now everything is cheaper than it has ever been and may ever be. Not only do you not want to be at the store when everyone decides to go, the price will be exorbitant, buy a little now - save everything later.

Write More!

[Run4TheHills]

I would suggest that if there is a sudden breakdown and assuming shops are still operating (hey some people I know would be turning up for work the day after WWIII) to go big on the credit card.

Let the banks find where you are when there's no transport. In a worst case scenerio I would suggest packing a gun and a lot of ammo....not for hunting rabbits and wildlife either. Because when it comes to the haves and have-nots people will try to take what you have if it's food or the means of producing it. If you have food for 5 years and means of growing it and 20 people rock up expecting to be your guests until the food runs out...by all means but I'll be sending them on their way as I will have a 2 YO daughter to take care of.

Another thing....if the day of panic comes get all the food you can but should you not have enough get stuff that most will forget but is needed (ie. can be swapped for food).

These would include antibiotics, medicines. Work boots, hand saws, hand drills, shovels, rakes, axes. I suggest essentials, not things like sun tan creame and facial scrubs. Multi vitamins would be a good one as they are compact and may be highly sought after.

I'm sure a few people will be stocking up on booze and cigarettes but at the end of the day these won't feed you.

** One cheap essential we can all stock up on is water. Save your plasic drink containers and just throw the empties up into the manhole in your roof if you have one. It may even help insulate your roof. If the need arises, turf them all down again and fill with water.

Another possibility with platic bottles is metholated spirits which CAN be watered down a bit if needed to be spread out a bit. Good for metho burner however if you really have to rough it then eating spam out of a can is quite acceptable.

Toilet paper would be a bonus but bear in mind each item you pack is at the expense of something else. There's only so much you can take, horde or afford.

Ask - Will this item help my long-term survival?

[TheSupplyGuy]

Your points hit dead on my preparation ideas. I'm currently storing water in 3 liter bottles, but it's really heavy (1 gallon= 8 pounds). Also, I wonder why people owrry about paying off their debt if they assume some kind of crisis is going to happen. I mean, if everything goes bad, what is the bank going to do to you? Ruin your credit in a society that really won't have too much of a use for it? I also need to go out and buy some vitamins big time.

[spork]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TheSupplyGuy', 'Y')our points hit dead on my preparation ideas. I'm currently storing water in 3 liter bottles, but it's really heavy (1 gallon= 8 pounds). Also, I wonder why people owrry about paying off their debt if they assume some kind of crisis is going to happen. I mean, if everything goes bad, what is the bank going to do to you? Ruin your credit in a society that really won't have too much of a use for it? I also need to go out and buy some vitamins big time.

[dmtu]

We aren't talking about a cliff, we are talking about a decline. If you have a mortgage on your house and stop paying the bills then they will foreclose as long as they have the energy to come do it.

Credit cards? I wouldn't worry about those so much.

[Guest]

I'm thinking that it would not be too bad of an idea to take out some loans and use the money to stock up on supplies. When it gets bad, you can skip town to wherever you plan on going and the bank won't know where you are and won't be able to get there.

[Apathy]

I don't know why I am but just am...

Let me ask you, since this post started, has anything really changed? Has a crisis happened yet? Has oil run out?

It is easy for people to follow my suit when nothing is slapping them in the face, I guess, I think? Whatever...

Good luck, time for me to watch some more weather channel...

[Guest]

9 months roughly since i posted so... 130million barrels of oil a day used * 200+ days... a lot of oil.

I was told we nearly had to ration diesel fuel here in NE Vic/Aus because demand in China is outstripping supply.

The tsunami will put more demand on resources for rebuilding.

In Aus... there's something like an extra 10,000 extra cars a week put on the roads.

If terrorist strike on a major oil facility... it will bite. I know the oil supply in California for instance is just keeping up with demand for refining. If starved of refined fuel... suppliesd would be gone in days. (that's if people don't panic)

Also... have you ever tried growing vegetabes from scratch? I'm glad there's a supermarket around the corner or I'd starve.

I need to seriously learnt how to turn Summer glut into Winter supplies.

I have a daughter who's only 2.5 and I worry very much about her future.

Also... imagine the disaster if countries decide to fight for the last reserves of oil?

Can the US defend itself without oil? Run fighters, tanks, transport supplies without fuel? Aircraft carriers may be nuclear powered but without support from conventianal powered ships, attack aircraft, etc, they're useless!

Imagine if the US can't get the supplies it needs and other countris like Russia and China, etc are left with some of their own supplies. Do you think Iran will sell oil to the US in any war?

If the Sausis stopped selling tomorrow and decided they need oil for their own future...then what? There's no rule saying they have to sell it to the US! Imagine the dhit if all oil Countries decided to sell to China and other Countries willing to pay a good price for it!

I have a little Suzuke 1.6L and only put about 30L a month through it. Pity other people don't do their bit to stretch out resources out a bit.

Greg Norman on the other hand thinks it's OK and his right to fill up his cruiser with 350,000L of fuel every 10,000KM when he heads to the Greek Islands!

[Guest]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Anonymous', '9') months roughly since i posted so... 130million barrels of oil a day used * 200+ days... a lot of oil.

[BabyPeanut]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Run4TheHills', 'I') talked to a few people yesterday to see if "Peak Oil" meant anything to them....as I expected, no knew or gave a shit. They just whine when they see petrol here for $1.06 per litre (that's about US $3.12/Gal)

No one sees why it's going up....supply/demand!! They're ignoramasus's.

Even my mother still seems to think oil won't run out in her lifetime and she's only 56. Maybe it won't but is she going to pay $20 a litre when demand outstrips supply by a large margin????

My wife's about as ignorant as it get as she seems to think no fuel just means no using the car. I explained to her about "how the hell do farmers grow crops, industry produce goods, retailer get good to us??"

I saw a post earlier about not being scared about it happening but rather everyone else's reaction.

[Guest]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Anonymous', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Anonymous', '9') months roughly since i posted so... 130million barrels of oil a day used * 200+ days... a lot of oil.

[RIPSmithianEconomics]

"Run to the hills, run for your lives..."