How long are you preparing for PO?

GASMON

Well, when I started work in the gas industry in the UK on leaving school in 1969, the promise was cheap north sea gas WELL into the 21st century. Now it's 2008 & the UK is importing LNG & soon Russian gas.

Knew in '69 it wouldnt last forever, but would see me out OK.

Thats the problem. We all want IT to see us out OK.

It wont see my children out OK.

Their children will have very serious problems.

And what about the generation after that.

Are we seriously bothered ?? - The hell no were not. Were all stocking up on bags of rice, flour, tins of beans, guns, ammo, bullet proof armour, cruex (for ichy jocks !!), scared shitless lest the zombi hoardes come. Meanwhile what do the parasites who lead us do ?, exactly the same as us - NOBODY GIVES A crap.

Bugger it, I'm allright jack. (till tomorow)

Gasmon
_________________
Oiyl be back !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lumpy

Rogozhin

Two years now.

My primary experience was working the wheat/corn/and bean harvest in the columbia basin. I was naive enough to lose my heart and my desire to a woman that didn't/wouldn't move back to the land.

I knew it was untenable then, but I was dazzled by the dasies. Sad

Rogo
_________________
"Those who long for exaltation look upwards, but I look downward for I am the exalted."

Thus Spake Zarathustra

alokin · Intermediate Crude Joined: Aug 24, 2007 Posts: 701

The interesting thing is that none(?) of you really was thrown out of his/her dreams by PO, all did what they liked to do anyway, being more sustainable, getting the hands dirty...No one told that he/she was horrified leaving the nice suburban home and the flat screen TV or what else.
That's it. Those who believe in PO might be those who searched for a different lifestyle anyway.

I was aware of PO a bit more than half a year ago. I was always concerned about climate change and other ecological disasters and I am still concerned. I intensified a bit gardening etc. but the main thing is that I think that our lifestyle is not only a matter of lifestyle that it makes sense.

When I first heard of PO I thought oh my goodness, we will be doomed within month! But here we are, still living, not poorer than before!

patience · Expert Joined: Jan 04, 2008 Posts: 1407

alokin,
I think you are right about many people choosing the self reliant lifestyle because they like it. There are, of course, many other people who like city life, or need to work there, who are doing much to power down their lives.

I believe that the economics vary for poeple, depending on where they are. We live in the Midwest US, Indiana, where once was a lot of medium to heavy industry, nicknamed "The Rust Belt" because of that. In the past few years, much more industry has gone to other countries, especially manufacturing to China that has taken away good jobs from here due to this globalization. So this area is somewhat poorer than before. Some of the job loss lately is due to low car sales and layoffs in the auto industry, attributable to oil prices, and the slow economy from the US debt problems. This area might be one of the more affected by PO in the US. People here are discouraged about the economy.
_________________
Local fix-it guy..

allenwrench · Intermediate Crude Joined: Apr 23, 2008 Posts: 728

Lumpy

Lumpy

Pops

buzzard · Tar Sands Joined: May 31, 2004 Posts: 99 Location: skrazo

[quote="CarlinsDarlin"]

"Shortly after that, I read The Fourth Turning (which scared the hell out of me) and began reading a lot about voluntary simplicity. It reminded me a lot about my roots and the way I had grown up but had gotten far away from."

Someone else who has read "The Fourth Turning". There are apparently a few around here. But we never seem to talk about it. I read it in 1999 and it changed my life. I am still a member of the Fourth Turning forums. It was the original forum which I joined on the web. Unfortunately most of those people are still unaware of Peak Oil or don't take it seriously. Occasionally I will go over there in an attempt to stir them up with little to show for my trouble.

On September 9, 2001 I began searching the internet for information for what I saw was the end of an era. It was some time later while reading an article about problems in urban black neighborhoods that I saw a link to the site in the UK called "Wolf at the Door" one of the original Peak Oil sites. From there I ended up on Matt's LATOC and the rest is history.

When I first read Matt's diatribe on the fate of our industrial civilization I knew instantly that we were in trouble. Even so, I tended to treat this information as just abstract knowledge until I found Peakoil.com and began perusing the "Preparing for the Future forum." Still I sat in a state of semi-paralysis until circumstance threw cold water in my face.

ON July 4, 2005 our house burned to the ground. We lost everything. During the chaotic period after the fire I began to contemplate our future. It was then that I realized that I had a choice, either rebuild on our five acres in Arizona or attempt to set up a homestead somewhere else. When my father died suddenly in Missouri it was decided to move back to the Ozarks to be closer to my family.

On April 1, 2007 we moved onto our place, twenty some acres in southwest Missouri. Pops is now my closest Peakoil neighbor. Fancy that.

At this point I believe that I am about 2 years behind in preparations. I am doing things as fast as I can. Even though I can be classified as an ultra-doomer, I fervently wish for 2 more years in which to prepare for what I see as the end of Industrial Civilization.

Waiting? I don't think so. Since I am partially disabled it takes me much longer to do things. So time is my enemy. Never enough. I envy those who began preparing years ago. And I continually kick myself that I wasted so much precious time. Don't just sit there people like I did. Better to be one year early than to be one minute too late, as they say.

Having said that, I must concur that generally speaking those people who are setting up rural homesteads are the ones who feel comfortable in that setting already. I grew up on a farm and have never forgotten my roots. I realize that I should have paid more attention at the time. And I wish my father was still here to give me counsel and advice.

At any rate, we're having great fun now, eh?
_________________
"I've been dazed and confused for so long it's not true."
Led Zeppelin

oowolf

I became a "back-to-the-lander" in the summer of 1973. I vividly remember the gas crises of the 70s. I didn't really consider oil depletion until I read Barry Commoner's "The Poverty of Power" around 1980 (he didn't specifically use the term "peak oil" but quoted Hubbert).
Around 2004 I began to seriously start hoarding food, ammo, clothes, etc and changed my gardening practices toward sustainably producing the most food with the least effort. I'm now in the process of propagating 1000's of fruit and nut producing "woody-stem" perennials". (That's why I don't have time to post much.)