Oil's energy contribution has declined by about 12% since 1999. The world's economies have also declined by about 12%. (Using conventional metrics, which are time delayed determinations, this will only be seen in hind sight). The massive destruction of asset values now occurring testifies to it happening.
Peak is well behind us, world economies have peaked and will continue to decline.
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:54 pm Post subject: I´m freaking out now
When I started researching peak oil 3 years ago and read the Hirsch report, I thought this can´t be true, and if it is why isn´t anyone doing anything. I think of myself as informed, but I have not been proactive about doing anything. Now that the predictions are coming true, Hirsch has been in the mainstream media, peak oil is common knowledge, I am freaking out.
I have no money saved, no supplies andcommute 32 miles a day to work. I have three children and don´t want to be an alarmist. I guess you could say I have been working through a 3 year grief process and although I am past denial, I can´t seem to mobilize myself to do anything.
My daughter is going to France this year, my family is going to Mexico for 2 months and my question is, should I get as much cash together, cancel our family vacations and plan for the apocalypse?
I need reasonable advice, a place I can start so I can feel like I have some control. My husband and I are both teachers and have very little debt except for our house. We have a home equity line that we could pull out some cash on.
Joined: Dec 27, 2004 Posts: 13191 Location: naive idiot fantasy world
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 1:06 pm Post subject: Re: I´m freaking out now
First of all - don't panic!
I would under no circumstances take on more debt if I were you.
Have you discussed the issue of peak oil with your family? How have they responded?
How important is the trip to Mexico to you and your family? Is it a lifelong dream, or is it just "kind of fun"?
I would, if I were you, at least do basic emergency preparedness such as for any natural disaster.
See the Planning forum for more ideas and discussion about actual preparations. _________________ "...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow." - jboogy
Joined: Jun 13, 2007 Posts: 3911 Location: Minniesotuh
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 1:08 pm Post subject: Re: I´m freaking out now
Welcome, wellbehaved, to PO.com.
First, don't panic-TEOTWAWKI is Not going to happen today, tomorrow or next week (barring nuclear war, of course!).
I would suggest browsing through the information presented here in the various forums, threads and archives.
Have your husband read, too (if he's of a like mind-let's hope so!).
Sit down and discuss for what situations you need to plan, figure out what you need to meet the solutions you've decided upon, and proceed from there.
Given the state of the global economy, the US economy, peak everything, global warming, assorted wars, food shortages, only you can decide if trips to other countries are really feasible. On the one hand, this May be About the last chance you have to do those things. On the other hand, that's a heck of a lot of money that would buy or help you acquire supplies for future needs-supplies that may, one day, be no longer available.
You will find many of these ideas discussed here.
Don't panic-a clear mind (two is even better!) is a resourceful mind. _________________ "RRrrruuuunnnn!!!" ~Apocalypto
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 1:24 pm Post subject: Re: I´m freaking out now
Quote:
I can´t seem to mobilize myself to do anything.
with planned trips to France and Mexico, It would appear you are proceeding in a Business As Usual Manner. The problem seems to be procrastination or a lingering denial.
You've read the Hirsch Report, so you are in a more advanced stage of doing peak oil research. You know what's coming, so I will make this easy for you: Either you prepare for what is coming or you will destroyed by it. Not everyone will prepare, even among the enlightened. This is where a support system comes into play. Peakoil.com can serve you well as a support network. While we can't go out and do your shopping, or prepare your garden, or insulate your house, we can offer the support you need to get off your arse and do something that will make a difference in the lives of your children.
One of the simplest things to do next, being a Saturday and teachers have weekends off, is go to the supermarket, spend about a hundred bucks on groceries-the stuff you usually get. It does not matter too much what you buy, as what you are really buying is peace of mind. This will help you to relax a bit as anxiety can cause you to make poor decisions.
Quote:
should I get as much cash together, cancel our family vacations and plan for the apocalypse?
YES.
If friends/family/neighbors/coworkers inquire as to why the sudden change in your ways, mention the economy and a recession as the primary reasons for your behavior. This prevents you from coming across as a lunatic and subsequently being ostracized.
all sorts of simple things that can get you moving
cancel cable TV
replace your light bulbs with compact flourescent
eat a simple pasta meal tonight
plant a couple of tomatoes or potatoes
rake the yard, build a compost heap
still reading? GET TO WORK _________________ If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--for ever."
-George Orwell, 1984
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 1:25 pm Post subject: Re: I´m freaking out now
Have fun with it Use the money you don't spend on those gas-guzzling trips to save the environment (yeah I know. whatever.) Then use the money on a Doomer Buying Splurge. Start prepping
Buy garden tools, compost, irrigation lines and connectors, etc. Buy the really weird preparations (preps) such as MRE's, first aide and surgical kit (I now own sutures and a scapel. legally ), guns (be sure to join a local range), fire-starters, lantern, the SAS Survival Handbook, a folding shovel. Make this a Family Fun Day!
Then when you wake up from the buying binge and look around to realize it won't do any good. Start worrying some more. It's a cycle. _________________ ree rah rip ram. sunofabitch godamn. hidey didey christ almighty. rah rah crap
Joined: Apr 08, 2006 Posts: 1464 Location: Somewhere there
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 1:31 pm Post subject: Re: I´m freaking out now
wellbehaved wrote:
I have no money saved, no supplies andcommute 32 miles a day to work. I have three children and don´t want to be an alarmist.
HELP!
Buy 4 shotguns/rifles, 4 handguns, 4 knives, 4 bullet-proof vests and 4 helmets and you'll be better off than most of us. With a proper training, that is. Oh and change your nick. _________________ Less people= more air
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 1:39 pm Post subject: Re: I´m freaking out now
Pretorian wrote:
wellbehaved wrote:
I have no money saved, no supplies andcommute 32 miles a day to work. I have three children and don´t want to be an alarmist.
HELP!
Buy 4 shotguns/rifles, 4 handguns, 4 knives, 4 bullet-proof vests and 4 helmets and you'll be better off than most of us. With a proper training, that is. Oh and change your nick.
Is that all just for wellbehaved (oh I mean badass) or for the entire family? _________________ ree rah rip ram. sunofabitch godamn. hidey didey christ almighty. rah rah crap
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 2:06 pm Post subject: Re: I´m freaking out now
Hi, Well. You and your family need to have a 'come to Jesus' on peak oil. If your not working together, you will look like a fool, and no one will support your efforts. If your husband or children are in denial, then you need to carefully educate them on the subject. This is a life changing process, and some will not go willingly. Find a way to make the horses drink, so to speak.
Once you are all working together, thing will start to fall into place. _________________ HOLDING THE CENTER
Joined: May 10, 2007 Posts: 3361 Location: Resiliency Farm
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 2:08 pm Post subject: Re: I´m freaking out now
startswithearthquakes wrote:
is it time to dump those credit card bills and use the $$ to continue buying supplies?
I would advise against it.
things you can buy will only get you so far, best to start immedietly investing in skills and buy things as you have opportunity and cash flow.
Help a friend with their garden or start one of your own. Check out some books from the library. There is a whole thread of suggestions right here.
There are lots of things you can do but don't bet the whole show on a certain time line. Might be 1 week but it just might be 5 years... and five years is a long time to have to deal with collection agencies. _________________ “It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.”
J.R.R. Tolkien
"The time has come for men to act like men; and for women, well, to act a lot more like men."
-Ma Cur
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 2:18 pm Post subject: Re: I´m freaking out now
Don't freak out.
Paralysis is pointless and ineffective. The world's not going to collapse - but it is going to have a serious transition. At some point you have to embrace the change that's coming, as hard as that sounds. Right now it sounds like you're trying to ignore eve though that's impossible.
Do one thing every day that will make you less oil dependent. Look into starting a garden. See if you can make your gas tank last 5 gays longer than average. Try to do a better job combining trips.
Joined: Nov 20, 2004 Posts: 163 Location: Land of the Tonkawa/Karankawa
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:23 pm Post subject: Re: I´m freaking out now
I suggest a middle ground.
It sounds like y'all need a vacation. Why not go camping in a National Park nearby for a week or two? Or drive to the coast and enjoy the beach for a while?
In a nutshell: do a trip, just one that costs about 1/5 what you would have spent on the trips to Europe and Mexico. It's been my experience that often when I need a vacation I don't have to go off to a fancy spot, but rather just change the scenery for a while. It could be just about a mile down the road and it'd get the job done ...
Then take that saved money and put it into an order at Walton Feeds (or similar) for a year's worth of essential food for the family. And spend the rest on other basic essentials.
I do think it's key that you bring the rest of the family on board with this though, as some others have mentioned. You're going to need to have the family all working together over the next few years as opposed to working against one another, in my opinion. _________________ Collapse-prep Intentional Community forming outside of Austin, TX. PM me if interested.
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject: Re: I´m freaking out now
I freaked out the same way when I learned of peak oil in early 2004. After wrestling with many questions for awhile I came to the realization that one thing was certain, God was still in control.
I just needed to settle the question of what I was going to do with His Son.
Joined: Apr 08, 2006 Posts: 1464 Location: Somewhere there
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 4:04 pm Post subject: Re: I´m freaking out now
pstarr wrote:
Pretorian wrote:
wellbehaved wrote:
I have no money saved, no supplies andcommute 32 miles a day to work. I have three children and don´t want to be an alarmist.
HELP!
Buy 4 shotguns/rifles, 4 handguns, 4 knives, 4 bullet-proof vests and 4 helmets and you'll be better off than most of us. With a proper training, that is. Oh and change your nick.
Is that all just for wellbehaved (oh I mean badass) or for the entire family?
Well she said she has 3 kids? Daughter should go to a sniper school, she will surely do better with a rifle than with a shotgun.
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 4:39 pm Post subject: Re: I´m freaking out now
Pretorian wrote:
pstarr wrote:
Pretorian wrote:
wellbehaved wrote:
I have no money saved, no supplies andcommute 32 miles a day to work. I have three children and don´t want to be an alarmist.
HELP!
Buy 4 shotguns/rifles, 4 handguns, 4 knives, 4 bullet-proof vests and 4 helmets and you'll be better off than most of us. With a proper training, that is. Oh and change your nick.
Is that all just for wellbehaved (oh I mean badass) or for the entire family?
Well she said she has 3 kids? Daughter should go to a sniper school, she will surely do better with a rifle than with a shotgun.
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Use the money you don't spend on those gas-guzzling trips to save the environment (yeah I know. whatever.) Then use the money on a Doomer Buying Splurge. Start prepping 
), guns (be sure to join a local range), fire-starters, lantern, the SAS Survival Handbook, a folding shovel. Make this a Family Fun Day!
ree rah rip ram. sunofabitch godamn. hidey didey christ almighty. rah rah crap 
Daughter should go to a sniper school, she will surely do better with a rifle than with a shotgun.
