P.O.P.



Peak Oil Plans

What are you going to do when your money cannot buy anything? You need a new M.O.E. (Medium Of Exchange). The problem is where do you start? You could start as small as trading a safety pin for a Band-Aid. You need an exchange to happen in order to get what you need. That is how we survive right now. A problem that could arise is in a society that just collapsed it’s economy, there will be some who decide to take what you have, using a gun or other means. First, you need a safe environment in order to have a true exchange. I plan on holing up as long as I can, not trading with others till I have too and then only with neighbours I trust.

A government person may declare that all the food and goods I worked hard to gather is now to be part of the collective, with no receipts for what is taken (stolen) and could turn around and accuse me of hoarding (It may be a capitol crime at that time). The best way to keep anything away from those who would steal them is to hide it. Caching, it is called. Usually burying something is involved. Another part to a cache is knowing how to protect the item in order to get it ready to be buried.

A good place to do bartering would be a central place that is open to all, like an open field or a park that has a centre stage to do the bartering from. A small fee from all the bartering parties in the form of food or other goods may be paid to personal police. Also a form of looking after the waste left over from the crowd would need to be picked up. A small fee for the use of the washroom may take care of waste management. If not, disease will break out quicker. People kicked out of their homes would be forced into tents and shacks. The barter spots would be the only place they could trade their skills or goods. How do you keep your stuff save if you are moving around? You can do like the gypsy’s and travel in a small wagon. Make sure the wagons can be locked well. In my case it may be riding my bike to the park with a trailer and a tent to set up a booth. I would avoid the use of the washroom, by urinating in a container and hauling the urine back with me to be used as fertilizer on my gardens. As far as solid waste, I would be working on a way to compost it to send it back to the soil. The air quality is not going to be great, but with no cars, it will be tolerable.

Many things will be shut down. Get that through your heads. Houses are going to be on fire because people will be doing stupid things to stay warm and there will be no firefighters. Neighbours will be forced to get along; or they are going to die. When I go to the marketplace I will want to bring one or more people with me to help out and watch my back. I would also like to have someone at my house to protect it. A time of lawlessness is going to be starting the second you can’t pay your police force. What are they going to do with people in jail? If I had the money now, I would sell all my useless toys and stock up on everything I need for a couple of years. I would then find a hiding place, maybe on an island, and just stay there for 2 or more years, till the worse of it was over. Right this second I do not have that option, so I am stuck where I am. I am praying we hold things together till this fall. I will have my house finished and that will give me time to find as much money as possible and stock up as much as I can. Good luck.
Michael J. Kaer, Owner of http://ww.2bitpixel.com and http://www.mikesworms.com