How to Prepare For And Survive Peak Oil

Peak Oil refers to Hubbert's Peak or the point at which the downward curve of global oil supply and the upward curve of demand meet. It is at that point, where oil begins to get scarce that we will see (many think are already seeing) a major change in our lifestyles. Here is how to get prepared.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. First of all the debate about whether we are actually at, near, or past the point of Peak Oil is still hotly debated. What is certain, no matter how much oil remains on the planet, is that the easy to find and extract oil has been used up. The cost therefore can only go up as it costs not millions but billions to develop a deepwater oilfield if one can be found.
   We are bound to see increasing energy prices for the rest of our lifetimes due to a number of reasons. The alternatives to replace the amount of energy in one barrel of oil are few and far between. We would have to build a nuclear reactor a day for the next twenty years to replace the energy we get from oil and there is simply not enough uranium to feed these nuclear plants left in the ground to mine.
   Devices like windmills and solar panels cost money and also huge amounts of oil to make and transport. So is is all gloom and doom? No, but it will mean we will have to change our habits.

2. If you have a gas guzzler, ie, anything that gets less than 20 miles per gallon highway, you should trade it in on a new hybrid that gets at least 35 miles per gallon or better. New diesels such as the Jetta which are coming out in late 2008 will get as good gas mileage as hybrids without the complicated technology. If you can't afford new then trade your car in for a smaller used car that gets good mileage.
   If your home is heated with oil, consider an electric heat pump. Many cities and electric utilities give rebates to replace your existing system. surviving peak oil will also mean that you will have to make your home more energy efficient.
   Insulate your home as well as you can. This includes weatherstripping, attic insulation and insulated drapes. Try and replace your appliances when you can with more energy efficient models. While most electricity is not generated with oil the cost of natural gas rises in tandem with oil. Peak oil will mean that natural gas will be diverted from other uses such as power plants to fuel for vehicles. Get rid of bills in general since much of your budget will be for energy. Get rid of satellite and cable bills with an FTA dish that gets free channels. Pay off credit cards and student loans as soon as you can.

3. Peak oil will mean many economic uncertainties including higher food costs and job losses. Try to pay off as much of your debt as you can in the next few years and plan a garden in the back yard. Join a wholesale food club such as Costco and buy in bulk when you can afford it. Keep a good supply of food on hand to dampen the impact of rising food costs.
   Hedge your financial bets with gold and silver. You can buy gold and sliver at firms like Apmex (Apmex.com).
   If you have a chance to relocate closer to your job it would be wise. Suburbs are going to go out of fashion as it costs more and more to travel to faraway stores and jobs.
   Lastly, keep you personal 'RADAR' on and be wary of changes coming your way. If you feel that your job is in jeopardy due to rising oil prices affect on your industry (such as the airlines or trucking) you may want to start job training ahead of time for another career. If you want to survive Peak Oil you will have to be nimble and quick thinking to stay ahead of trends that will affect certain sectors of society hardest. Peak oil will change a lot of the things we used to to such as take flying across the country or going on a cruise. Airlines are already, with $140 per barrel oil, talking about having to double rates on many routes to stay in business. Cruise lines are loosing money and raising rates. You may want to discover forgotten places near where you live for vacations and holiday trips.
   To survive Peak Oil we will all be faced with many challenges. Challenges are something that Americans are good at so I don't see a bleak future but we do need to all be prepared and knowledgeable about what is about to happen.

Resources

• Peak Oil Headlines and Books

[jogar2]

on 7/25/2008 Check my math, but in 2005, there were 450 reactors generating 300 GW of power, or 667 MW per reactor. That's 5,843 GWhr/year per reactor. A gallon of gas = 36.7 kWhr. The USA uses 386 million gallons of gas a day, or 141 billion gallons a year, for 5.1 million GWhr per year, so we would need, on average, 885 new reactors to completely replace the energy consumed by gasoline in the USA... not 7,300 as you state in your first paragraph. (data from Wikipedia and others)