Friday, April 24, 2009

Peak Oil: "Growing Food When the Oil Runs Out," By Peter Goodchild, Posted on Speaking Truth to Power, December 14, 2007

This post provides a good introduction to the challenge of growing food after the last power blackout.

The challenge is greater when we include the absence of all of readily available seeds, tools, wire, shovels, hardware, string, food storage jars, and fertilizer -- to mention just a few of the items that will not be available after the highways and power grid collapse.

Those who are preparing will now store enough of these items to last as long as possible.

Peter Goodchild understands the need to provide both nutrition and sufficient calories. Many Peak Oil gardening websites forget that a minimum of 2,400 calories per person daily is required for 365 day per year for survival. And his post Peak Oil world examines the reality of growing food without the implements of the Oil Age.

Irrigation presents are more challenging obstacle than he indicates. For much of the world, global warming and drought present real challenges to survival. See Globalis (see there: "How to Use Globalis") where you can see how much of the world, including much of the U.S. and Europe receive less and less rainfall every year. Due to persistent droughts, mMost of the U.S. and Europe are not sustainable, that is to say they are not survivable.

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