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PeakOil is You

PeakOil is You

High School Student

General discussions of the systemic, societal and civilisational effects of depletion.

High School Student

Unread postby CarpeDiem » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 15:30:32

I searched around many forums, but am surprised to see that no one talks about what a child or an adolescent could do to mitigate the impacts of Peak Oil towards his or herself and his or her family. I've been informed about Peak Oil about a year ago by a fellow friend or in time, just a student. My parents have the same typical static responses that PO Informers get. Because of the lack of plans and actions, it is not frivolous for me to worry, or so I think.

To get to the gut of what I'm trying to say, I've read many (in reality, a relatively small portion) articles regarding PO, but few delve into great depths about what to do for the future. The few that actually do aren't pragmatic for me to carry out due to the lack of resources a fifteen year old kid has. The only role I have right now is to go to high school and get an education, which brings me to my point (didn't I say I was going to?).

Since PO is going to arrive in a few years, I have interior conflicts with myself of what to do in the future. Going to college seems like a futile pursuit because what good will it serve when jobs will only be allocated towards people with PhD-level intelligence.

I just don't know. I do have a motivation for learning and everything, but even if I end up in Harvard, does it help me anywhat? I mean, what should I do right now? If I have to start getting a farmer's education, that means I have to take away my primary education and risk getting lower grades. Spare time will also disintegrate.

Should I just follow the flow of my education? Or should I spend time pursuing more essential things. I sure can't rely on my parents when the Oil Crash comes. I await responses and I apologize if a topic like this has already been made.
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Unread postby geoman » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 15:50:04

RunningOnEmpty2 yahoo newsgroup is a great place to start.

My advise. Don't do anything you wouldn't normally do. Like go to college, have relationships, etc. Things will not change overnight. Keep on learning.
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Unread postby nero » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 15:55:05

I would suggest that whatever you do, do not burn any bridges you don't have to. Not getting an education doesn't make any sense. What does make sense is directing your education and not just "going with the flow".

I don't know what your personal predictions for peak oil might be, but some teens and younger people ,I find, think things are going to unfold much more quickly than I find credible. In any event there are some simple things that you can do that will hold up well under any eventuality. Get in shape and choose a fun hobby that will provide you with some useful skills (eg. Fixing cars, gardening, woodworking, hunting).

One important thing you are already doing that is a useful life skill for any eventuality is thinking long term and preparing yourself mentally. The people who will fare the worst are the people addicted to their present way of life. If you can't give up your car when you can't afford it, it will become the anchor that drags you under.
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Unread postby RonMN » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 16:07:22

If anything you want to learn even more now. Keep going on with highschool & also try to learn things like gardening...gathering wild food (nuts, berries, etc)...learn how to hunt, how to build a debris shelter...anything you can learn...LEARN!

98% of preparation is mental!

There are several threads that broach this topic...i belive you will find most of them under the psychology section.

Try your best to remain calm...PO is a scary topic for all of us...panicing doesn't help...I find that my learning & preparations are a great way to keep me from panicing.

Good luck!
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Unread postby Leanan » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 16:07:31

Get an education...but consider getting an education in an area that's recession-proof, if not peak oil-proof. Medicine, for example.
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Unread postby CarpeDiem » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 16:24:06

Thanks for the replies. I'll check the psychology section.

Perhaps I was rambling in a vague manner, since I expected a response about the usefulness of a mainstream education. I know there are many skills I should learn that will help post-oil utopia, but it all sums down to time determining what I can and cannot do.

If details help, I'm a high school freshman who's planning to major in physics. I already begun a bit by choosing to take Physics [B] AP next year. I'm also doing some volunteer work at a local university in the physics department: it's some extracirricular thing called Biomed that revolves mainly on the prestigious science fairs and such. I'm guessing something around physics will be useful post oil crash, but there's always doubts.

I'm already thinking college too. What if I'm like at the University of Zurich, Germany (that's a hyperbole) and airplane fares get expensive? How useful is college going to fare? Maybe someone should write an article about the dos and do nots about childhood plans to survive.

Yes, I'm worrying a lot but I plan on being one of those few that survive, so it's great to have plenty of feedback. Thanks again.
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Unread postby eric_b » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 16:39:39

I'm certain you'll get many diverse replies.

I don't advocate anything drastic. Continue with your education. Perhaps
learn some useful survival skills - gardening, foraging, hunting, etc. Or anything
that will be of value in a smaller community.

I'm a doomer. If things turn out as dire as I think they may, I don't think there's
much that can be done as far as preparation or survival.

I think the best you can do is to be aware of the fact. That will give you an advantage
over the people completely surprised when tshtf (assuming it ever does).
Last edited by eric_b on Thu 23 Jun 2005, 16:52:32, edited 1 time in total.
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Unread postby nero » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 16:49:27

I'm still not sure where your head is. Physics depending on you definition of "post oil crash" might be one of the least useful things to know.

I will asume you mean a "soft landing" type of situation, in which case finding a recession proof vocation as already mentioned is in my opinion the best plan. Is physics a recession proof education? It all depends on where you end up. If you become a physics teacher that is a good recession proof career. If you are one of the very small minority that actually goes on to a Phd career in physics you also probably have a fairly recession proof career. If you are one of the many people who finds after their college education that a bachelors in physics doesn't lead to any particular career then you're very exposed when a recession comes. But this is all normal career advice stuff, go to your guidance counsellor, and disregard what I say.
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Unread postby Ardalla » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 16:55:17

Well this IS a huge question isn't it? It's there for all of us, young and old. To be honest, your guess is as good as ours as to what the future holds.

If I was 18 and considering college, job or flee-to-the-hills, I'm not sure what I would do. As Simmons has said repeatedly, we just don't have the information available to make a conclusive prognosis. It's possible even the Saudis themselves don't have any idea how much oil they have. The date given for PO by so-called experts is all over the map. It's confusing for you and for all of us.

What I am doing right now is going for maximum flexibility. I want to be free to react to whatever happens. This past week I accepted an offer on my house -- we close on July 24th. The money will go into savings and I will rent a cheap apartment in the area.

Another example: I use a large bank (Bank of America) because, if the economy starts going south, the smaller banks will collapse first. The FDIC cannot guarantee your deposits if there is a major banking crisis. You could lose everything.

I would recommend starting at a 2 year college and then transfering. The first 2 years are pretty generic no matter what your major.

Try to be fast on your feet and stay alert. Remember, because you know about PO, that gives you a bit of an advantage over those with their head in the sand.

Don't preach to people about PO. I've never convinced anybody of its reality. It seems to be much like religion. The American Dream is faith-based. Logic has no effect on it.
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Unread postby LadyRuby » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 17:00:47

If you can find something you're really interested in, it will take you far. If you like physics, stick with it. It doesn't necessarily mean you need to get a Ph.D. in it, which by the way isn't that big a deal as you'll see when you're older. If peak energy is of interest to you, learn all you can about it. Maybe you'll end up on the science end of finding solutions, possibly the business end, there will be many options.

Don't despair, and don't read too much into these boards. There are a lot of very pessimistic people. Take a look at this lecture. It's kind of long and boring but a lot of it is specifically addressed to young people and stressing the science needs. One of the moderators directed me to this link...

http://128.42.10.107/media/Smalley_OEF_ ... 1_100k.wmv
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Unread postby NEOPO » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 17:06:25

eric b just wants all the good land and solar panels for himself!!!! :o

Nothing we can do???

I suppose I am not a doomer if thats what doomers believe.

The kid would do better off in a eco-village, formerly known as a Commune, then up a cul de sac post peak.

Goto college for horticulture or something like that maybe but otherwise I see many paths as trivial pursuits considering PO.

I have a 2 year plan - I know many people cant get their shit together in 2 years.
I tend to believe 2007-2008 is when the SWHTF so I feel I have alittle time but few choices.

You are 15 hmmm and you believe PO will hit within 2 years.
How big is your family yard?
Could you convince your parents to allow you to grow a garden?
a big garden? :roll:

Dont buy video games or waste your cash otherwise buy tools, seeds and books on gardening,farming,survival etc etc.
You have the internet - alot of power at your fingertips.
Knowledge is power.

AND I suppose.... you have the potential of being the ONE who ultimately invents something that will get us out of this mess!!!!

If you believe this is possible then forget everything we have said and follow your heart 8)

Please try to invent something that wont kill the planet and dont forget the guy on the PO forum who helped you see your future!!!

sha na na na na - be the ball.
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Unread postby k_semler » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 17:30:47

Take metalshop and woodworking for your electives. Take Agricultural Science, and also a course in small engine repair. Take a course in electrical wiring, as well as physics and chemistry. Also join the FFA. That would give you a good start on skills that will be nessecary during the slide. Even rudimentry skills are better than none at all.
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Unread postby mgibbons19 » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 17:43:28

Don't worry too much. You're still a kid.

Continue with your education. Learn to educate yourself from the internet and the libraries. There is so much to learn in the world, and you have the time to do it.

Get a part time job with local craftspeople. The local beer brewer, coffee roaster, machine shop, bicycle framebuilder, cobbler. Anyone who has old fashioned how-to-make-a-good-product kind of business. That kind of experience will help you out in life no matter what. Ooh, a bike shop. You will elarn wrenching, you'll be around ppl who think PO is a real problem.

Stay in shape. Or get in shape. Don't rush out to get your driver's license. Instead ride your bike. A lot. You'll surprise yourself with how much freedom you have away from the motorized coffin.

Also, learn to take care of money. Read up on finance and economic history if you can stand it. Learn to say no to credit while you're young.
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Unread postby Sparaxis » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 17:44:11

Since you're interested in science, there's ways to make it useful (assuming you don't believe in the apocolyptic version of the future). Right now a lot of money will be flowing into R&D on carbon-neutral alternative energy. Our lab is focusing on figuring out how termites turn cellulose into methanol precursors. And there's work on production of hydrocarbons from microalgae starting now too. In my view, this is all coming to late to offset the liquids shortages we will face, but unless you believe that then spells the end of the world, you could make a useful contribution in this area since it's vital to find carbon-neutral alternatives.

And do take up gardening. Eating your own food by itself will make you healthier.
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Unread postby pip » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 17:44:23

If you like physics, I would recommend a major in mechanical engineering. ME's are used in just about every industry I can think of, and it's good concrete knowledge you can use regardless of what the future holds.
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Unread postby 0mar » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 17:50:47

the AK47 is recession proof.
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"It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything. "
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Unread postby aldente » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 18:10:17

LadyRuby wrote:Don't despair, and don't read too much into these boards.

But one gets hooked on them, right? What is being discussed here overides pretty much anything else over the long run, it becomes a mental excersise indeed to live in the so called "real world" under a Peak Oil pretext. It can be done and it takes discipline. I recommend it for practical reasons.

As for our student I know how he feels:

Image
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Unread postby Hawkcreek » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 18:55:15

--
Last edited by Hawkcreek on Sun 16 Sep 2007, 20:29:23, edited 1 time in total.
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Unread postby Backtosteam » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 19:01:28

I would do want you want to do. I would not make decisions based soley upon what you think declining oil supplies will bring --- if you do you will drive yourself insane. Keep it in the back of your mind. NOBODY knows what the future will hold. If I could predict the future half as good as some peak oilers I'd be a millionaire.
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Unread postby RonMN » Thu 23 Jun 2005, 20:46:09

Lemme give ya 2 important things:

1. Debris shelter...at it's simpelest form you can kick a pile of leaves together & burrough yourself into it...this will keep you from freezing to death in a 40 below Minnesota winter.

2. Water...filter it thru sand (bucket/pop can filled with sand with holes punched in the bottom) and then boil it for 20 minutes...then the water is drinkable (provided it didn't have any nuclear waste in it to begin with).

as i said before...LEARN DAG NABBIT! LEARN! Don't ever thing there is nothing you can do...because THAT's what's gonna kill ya!
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