What if, the worlds oil reserves ran out tomorrow!

[mesuno]

In the second world war there were a large number of cars converted to run on wood gas - all it takes is some fabrication skills and dry firewood. Do we know anyone with dry firewood or large supplies of sawdust?

I can just see a cunning chainsaw conversion too...

 

[woodchip]

[If everything goes down tomorrow, the thought of I'll be alright with a stash of wood, a decent veg plot, and a cellarful of wine sounds great until you realise that I'll probably have to sit up day and night guarding it from marauding hordes.

Unless I can get a few of Gary's blow up dolls in combat gear standing round like a load of sentries.......... ;-)

 

[Wade A.]

What you'll mostly find on the internet concerning this subject is dichotomy of predictions proposed by the "Cornucopians" and the "Apocalyptics." The first group believes that the divine granted mankind an open license to exploit resources that are infinite, and the second believe that we are always one black swan event from excrement in the ventilator. I've come to appreciate that the probable outcome is neither of these scenarios. It is going to be a long, long descent, and it will happen at different rates for different groups and individuals. Some have already started down that path, others are luckier. Already the world is beginning to look a whole lot different than it did just 20 years ago, and the differences are not superficial. Look for that to accelerate, I think. But, whatever theory you subscribe to, yeah, blow-up dolls will always command a premium price. Go long.

 

[Jags]

Hoisin sauce was designed to make ANY meat palatable.

 

[Later]

Kinda like the plague but more violent.

 

[moosetrek]

I guess I'm not sure why it would be such a problem; I mean the world did just fine (relatively, of course) for centuries, science will continue to evolve and smart people will continue to solve problems - we have many of both... We'd still have substantial power (coal fired power plants, which power the coal mining equipment), and after the great calamity of adjustment I think we'd figure out some new resource to overuse. The hardest challenge would be areas where people have never had to think about these things, places where the government comes in and "fixes it" with a check or a new home. Out here we're probably a couple generations closer to that way of life. Not that it wouldn't be a great shift; many of the ranches and outlying areas depend on driving, tractors, atvs, etc. but most still have horses, many lose power easily and lots of places are snowed in for days and it's just part of life. On the other hand, it's a lot easier to be self-sufficient on a 50,000 acre ranch than a condo in Connecticut. It really depends where you live, and what you learned to do. I thank my parents for teaching me how to fish, hunt, cut wood, and mostly how to solve problems with what I have on hand.

Oh... "soylent green is people!"

 

[woodchip]

I thank my parents for teaching me how to fish, hunt, cut wood, and mostly how to solve problems with what I have on hand.

Being self reliant is one of the best virtues anybody can have, or develop.

It's actually amazing how quickly people have become dependant on something, and generally been weaned off the old ways of doing things.

Wanting a comfortable lifestyle with everything at the flick of a switch certainly has it's price ;-)

 

[Fsappo]

I would quickly regret not having a rainwater collection system and a cook stove.

I'll barter ya a wood cook stove. If the SHTF just head to our warehouse. Bring something good to trade.

 

[Jags]

I would quickly regret not having a rainwater collection system and a cook stove.

I'll barter ya a wood cook stove. If the SHTF just head to our warehouse. Bring something good to trade.

I always figured that if I had to, I could fashion a cook stove in a short time that would use the IR as a heat source. Between the solid fuel weber, the smoker (can be wood fired and be used as an "oven") and the cooktop on the IR, I could pretty much cook anything I want.

 

[woodchip]

I've often thought that Saxon re-enactment groups over here would be ok in a survival situation, they have basic knowledge of food, cooking, and the gear to get on with it.

They go round castles and historic places at weekends demonstrating how to do things the old way.

I suspect most of them hate going back to the 21st century office on Monday mornings ;-)

http://www.regia.org/main.htm

 

[zzr7ky]

I suspect the value of my 2 man cross cut saws would rise sharply.

If there were severe disruptions for long, substancial chaos would ensue. The masses have been trained that rioting is acceptable.

Being raised in the bush, and later educated as and Engineer, I'm not fast but as Larry the Cable Guy sez I "Git 'er Done" one way or another.

 

[DaveH9]

The end of the world might be coming Sat. ... we shall see, (that it won't) but the end of the world will come someday. We won't run out of oil tomorrow, but we started running out the day we used the first gallon of oil. It's finite. Someday we will run out, but it won't be the end of the world.

 

[joefrompa]

Let's see, we've got more power supplies than ever before based upon non-petroleum sources. We have vehicles that work based upon electricity and ethanol. The list goes on.

Would it be an easy few years of adaptation? No. But then, life isn't supposed tobe a cakewalk. And mankind makes the greatest strides when its most challenged. 50 years ago, there wasn't supposed to be enough resources on earth to feed 3 billion.

I won't predict utopia, but I actually think mankind would step up in some pretty good ways while also depriving some of the worlds worst dictatorship/autocracies of their power lever.

On a personal level, I'd have electricity (possibly rationed) and heat via the wood stove. I have a bike. I have an axe and ways to protect my family. I'd want to quickly stake out some food supplies, and I'd probably want to have a plan to get out into the countryside a bit...

 

[ecocavalier02]

I would really, really, really try to stretch those two cans of coffee in the cupboard.

haha. thats great. i would prob stock up coffee more than anything to last a while.

 

[begreen]

Coffee, wine?? coffee, wine?? toilet paper? rice and beans maybe a good idea too.

 

[woodchip]

Coffee, wine?? coffee, wine?? toilet paper? rice and beans maybe a good idea too.

Few crates of beer too for some.
If it all went down I suspect quite a few would prefer to drink themselves into oblivion rather than face reality ;-)

 

[moosetrek]

Beer, coffee, tp, and ammo. Should be able to get anything else I need with those, one way or another!

 

[renewablejohn]

From my point of view not a problem. My woodland would provide all heat and electric from a small gasifier chp plant The woodland would also produce the turpentine required to keep the car on the road with a small crop of castor oil to provide the lubrication for the car. Our polytunnels would provide sufficient food all year round. Biggest problem would be how to defend your plot from others less fortunate.

 

[BrotherBart]

We would make it about two weeks and then we would be in a world of hurt.

 

[begreen]

Earthquake preparedness has us keeping a fair supply of essentials on board. We could make it about a month and then would be in the same situation. The bigger concern would be for all those grasshoppers out there that fiddled away and have only a few days worth of supplies. A plague of locusts is not a pretty sight.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Eliminating my OIL heat was my first big step away from oil, the second will come with transportation,if it ever gets here. Tomorrow wont work though especially for the hoards of people who get their every want and need fulfilled by the Govt right now.They will be coming for YOUR stash. Im looking into street legal golf carts as a local transportation alternative right now. Could get groceries, go to work, ect all without leaving town.

 

[Delta-T]

Earthquake preparedness has us keeping a fair supply of essentials on board. We could make it about a month and then would be in the same situation. The bigger concern would be for all those grasshoppers out there that fiddled away and have only a few days worth of supplies. A plague of locusts is not a pretty sight.

grasshopper are delicious.....oh, you're using an analogy....grasshopper are delicious.

 

[begreen]

True, they are protein and spiced up, sold as a treat in Oaxaca. They call them chapulines. But I meant the lazy grasshopper as a human analogy. That brings us back to soylent green.

 

[Delta-T]

oh, I know what you meant, and I see, you know what I meant. together, we know what we mean. i think.

 

[mecreature]

I would assume everyone would get hungry/thirsty pretty quick.
People who are accustom to conservation would have a better chance.

I would probably do exactly the opposite of what local authorities were mandating.
Most would gather in cities waiting for hand outs..

Down the road from me there was an old farm house and 40 acres up for sale after the housing bubble got popped.
A family bought the property for a very nice price.
In a 1 year span they now have a dozen or more sheep, 4 or 5 goats, several pigs and several dozen chickens, turkeys..
they bought a calf and bull calf that have now had a calf and shelter be it cheap for all these.

I have never ask them whats up but I think sustainability is their goal... I could be wrong.


It has got me thinking. at least some goat cheese, milk and eggs would be a big help
I already have the equipment to reload for hunting ammo. when my ammo runs out.

by that time, the line at the astro dome will be substantially shorter for the free hand out crowd.

I wonder if my neighbor would trade a bottle of wine for some of these taters I got... I got enough cigars to last me a while.