Lifeboats

I want to discuss an idea that some of you may not have heard of before. Creating a lifeboat. Now we all know what a lifeboat is...it's that little boat that we run for when the big boat that we are on is in danger of sinking or some other disaster. The lifeboat is designed to keep you alive through the immediate emergency until you can be rescued or reach safety. So why, you may ask, do we need to create a lifeboat? Well, let's think about that one for a minute.

In the last couple of years we have seen a lot of economic turmoil here in the U.S. and in other countries as well. Greece is on the brink of financial collapse and Spain, France, Italy, the UK and others are not far behind. Despite what all of these well paid economists on CNN may be saying, we are on pretty shaky ground as well. Things are not as stable as they would like for us to believe. Our economy is based on a model of perpetual energy growth. We depend on increased amounts of available energy to support and increase our growth. Most of that energy comes from oil and as I hope you are aware, oil is on the decline. We have reached the peak and are now on the downhill slide. This is not good news for the economy.

Now I am not an economist nor do I work in the oil industry. I am just an ordinary person trying to piece together the information that is out there. I had hoped that we had at least another 5-10 years before we began to feel significant effects of Peak Oil but I am now beginning to think that we have much less time than that. So the need to create a lifeboat is becoming imperative.There are a lot of resources out there that can go into much more detail than I about what is happening and what we will probably be facing so I will leave that to those who are more qualified.

Everyone's lifeboat will look different based on where you live. There are basic needs that we all must meet which include water, food, and shelter. I would suggest starting there. Look around where you live and begin to think of what you would need to get you through an emergency that lasted a few days, weeks, or months. What plans do you need to put in place that will benefit you in the long term? What networks and community bonds can you strengthen or build so that you're not alone in your lifeboat? How will you and your family function if the things that we have become used to are not available or are only available in limited quantities?

I watched a film the other day of Michael Ruppert talking about Peak Oil and the coming collapse. One thing he said was to make your lifeboat where you feel most comfortable. Where you know the streets, the people, the customs, etc. You don't have to be out in the country surrounded by acres of farm land, but you do have to know your area and where your resources are. This makes a lot of sense to me and is why we are going back to Oklahoma.  It's where we are comfortable and where we are choosing to make our stand.

The ship is sinking and unfortunately many people don't see it. An analogy that I like to use is that of a coming storm. If you know a storm is coming are you going to wait until it hits to make sure you have everything you need? The smart person is going to make sure there is adequate food, batteries, flashlights, blankets, etc. If you are not prepared when you have been warned, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a way to embed Michael Ruppert's video in this text but I have included the link so you can visit the website and watch it for yourself. He doesn't sugar coat anything, which I personally like, but his message is a little scary. So watch the video, look at your own situation, and decide how best you can prepare your own lifeboat.

http://www.cctv.org/watch-tv/programs/author-and-peak-oil-activist-michael-ruppert