I am still not sure what exactly is the insight that Peak Oilers think that the "powers that be" are deliberately concealing from us,
I was an an Energy Institute conference a few years ago and Tony Blair's key energy adviser was asked why the govt didn't advise the population about PO.
She essentially said: "We won't do it but you can if you want to. The govt is having enough problems keeping the lights on this week due to the natural gas issues, so something 5 or 6 years out isn't yet on our radar".
I think she also suggested that the last thing the govt wanted was an 'energy splurge' as people decided to buy a powerboat or take that round the world trip NOW rather than wait for their retirement.
Last edited by Vortex on 09 Nov 2010, 11:05, edited 1 time in total.
Peak Oil / natural gas supply issues / natural disaster / war / terror attacks on infrastructure ARE threats to the UK because we have almost ZERO resilience.
Long term PO and increase in prices / reduction of availability of fossil fuels will have to be survivable globally ... we have no other choice.
However the UK has only about 2 or 3 days of food buffer stocks ... the food which is on the back of trucks.
Just In Time optimisations have got rid of the huge food warehouses we used to have.
So the UK is likely to be very adversely affected by short term price & availability instabilities caused by Peak Oil.
The USA may have a similar problem because your car fuel is lightly taxed so crude oil price increases will hit the consumers hard & quickly.
Long term PO may just be a blip or mirage ... but short term PO (or vaguely related energy issues) could prove a VERY nasty problem for the UK.
A fuel shortage lasting a few weeks could cause almost instant hunger and civil unrest in the UK.
So perhaps 'PO' in the UK context also covers 'the Russians turning off the gas' and other problems?
Perhaps 'PO preppers' in the UK are being rather sensible .... even if for the wrong reasons ...
Vortex wrote:Peak Oil / natural gas supply issues / natural disaster / war / terror attacks on infrastructure ARE threats to the UK because we have almost ZERO resilience.
That's just not right. In recent years the Russians did turn off the gas, and it barely caused a flicker in the gas price, let alone lead to hunger and civil unrest, in the UK. The fact is that the UK benefits from among the best diversified and most reliable gas import and supply infrastructure in the world, and from commercial and physical flexibility on both the supply and the demand side which enables quick and efficient responses to disruption. I know less about food supply systems but would imagine that the same principles apply - you don't need huge stocks in place if you have several alternative sources of supply.
But huge stocks (of food) would certainly be of benefit if something were to happen to prevent several alternative sources of supply supplying!! ie a sudden lack of oil to transport the re-supply! Is that not correct?
Yup good point, BUT if you are currently working then the ability to have food produced and stored ready for use in an emergency is limited by time available.
A good cupboard of long shelf life food would however help tide over in sudden difficult situations. A garden does not ramp up production quickly.
I know how long it all takes. We produce more of our own food than many (perhaps even many on PS) yet we are nowhere NEAR able to produce enough to feed ourselves.....
Keela wrote:Yup good point, BUT if you are currently working then the ability to have food produced and stored ready for use in an emergency is limited by time available.
A good cupboard of long shelf life food would however help tide over in sudden difficult situations. A garden does not ramp up production quickly.
I know how long it all takes. We produce more of our own food than many (perhaps even many on PS) yet we are nowhere NEAR able to produce enough to feed ourselves.....
Both tactics are best when used together I think.
+1
You should aim to have around 3 months worth of food for emergencies as well as lots of water.
Peace always has been and always will be an intermittent flash of light in a dark history of warfare, violence, and destruction
And many people don't have access to a garden where they can grow food. Getting an allotment can take years, and other possibilities like Community Supported Agriculture haven't taken off yet.
