I just added a new post on the myhemp.blogspot.com blog. In it I mention a new friend by the name of Hugh Simpson and a blog he runs on survival. Go there to grab the link.

Every Tuesday night at my house I have a few friends over to discuss Prosperity and to share what we have done, prosperity-wise that week. Last night we got into discussing peak oil and what we can do to get through it and survive, maybe even prosper. It was not you normal prosperity talk. I proposed that after the meltdown of the global economy, there would be a lot of bartering system in place and after that we would need a new form of money and a new way of dealing with it. my suggestion is we base it on Hemp. A bale of raw hemp = x hempen dollars. Since hemp can be grown just about anywhere man does, it would make sense to use it as a basis for wealth. The economy can grow only as much as the global crop of hemp can grow in that year. That would give the regions that have 2 growing seasons an unfair advantage, but that too is fair since certain regions will produce other crops and items for trade that those regions cannot and we could charge what we want for our scarce goods.

Global trade would be very slow since we would be going back to old ways of shipping and transporting and regional trade would go on much more than distant trade. Spices and tea and coffee will always be traded so some trade will continue. With that in mind, if you are looking for practical things that can be stored for later trade, I would get spices and raw coffee beans and tea plants and hope you can grow a local variety in a green house or other micro climate. the other practical things I plan on getting is copper and aluminum. With those two metals I can create batteries and other useful projects. Next on my list is hand tools and knifes. Next would be things I can't make for myself like sewing machine needles and fishing line. In that list I would include as many solar panels as I can possibly get. Last on my list would be spare parts and extra media for storing all my electronic data as long as I have the spare parts, I can hobble together a working computer. My skills and knowledge be mostly what I will be bartering and if I am the last person in my region with a working computer, that makes my knowledge very much worthwhile. Other skills I have and most of the tools I need I already have to fix and maintain bicycles , plant a food garden with worm compost and a massage chair and table to do healing on.

With the skills I already have I should be able to do well, but I have a large collection of books that will also come in handy when the time comes. Books, tools, knives, knowledge and skills I hope to past on to my family and friends. If I can do that , I will indeed be rich.

Michael J. Kaer