How Will You Survive A Crude Doomsday

[echnidna]

Instigated by the "Did You Watch Crude" thread.

So if the oil age leads into really hot global warming how will you survive,

Build a strawbale house?

Dig a cave and live in it?

How will you keep contact with the other survivors?

etc etc

[Cliff Rogers]

If it doesn't happen in the next 30 or 40 years, I'm safe.

[Gingermick]

I guess we'll have to hope Darwin was wrong about the timescale of evolution

[Grunt]

Being the biggest doomer around here I suppose I better say what my plans are.

We have 11 acres about 70ks North West of Melbourne. It currently gets around 750mm of rain per year. We plan to build a self-sufficient life for ourselves and for a few friends and maybe and hopefully a few neighbours.

I'm just about to start on a straw bale house that I'll build in two stages. We chose a straw bale because of construction simplicity and it's unparalleled insulative qualities.

From next year, I'll be just doing part time work and spending the rest of the time setting up a permaculture farm. I hope with around 20 hours a week I'll be able to feed all the livestock and us from the farm. We'll have several hundred fruit trees, veggie garden and small amounts of grain crops.

In addition we'll have 50 or so chickens, 2 Jersey cows, 2 horses (bugger) and a few pigs. Oh and a couple of dogs.

I hope to generate $200 or so a week by selling eggs, chickens, fruit and veggies.

We wouldn't need 11 acres except to cope with the horses. A family of 4 could easily live off of 1/4 acre.

I think everyone should be learning to grow veggies.

Do I think anything we're doing is actually going to help? Probably not. Still it makes me feel good.

Chris

[ozwinner]

Problem is Grunt, when the crunch comes you will have half a billion people camping on your ground expecting to be fed.

Al

[Gingermick]

yeah, where do you live?

[Grunt]

Problem is Grunt, when the crunch comes you will have half a billion people camping on your ground expecting to be fed.

Yup, the Zombie Hordes. I've been doing a bit of practice. This is why I don't think what I'm doing will help.

Mick, I live just over the rainbow.

[echnidna]

Grunt, Rainfall may be a major problem for you.

The scientific projections I saw about 5 or 6 years ago predicted a 60% reduction in rainfall in south east australia over 20 years.

The rainfall we've been getting the past few years suggest to me that the particular prediction seems relatively close to the mark.

If that happens your average annual rainfall will be in the order of 450mm.
Maybe not enough to grow enough grass for your horses & stock.

[outback]

I sincerely wish you all the best in your new venture Grunt.
When you get it all sorted let me know how you did it, I've been trying for years to be self sufficient, but can't.

[Grunt]

Global warming is a real issue. I've thought about moving to Tassie or New Zealand but have it just doesn't work from the work prospective.

It maybe the horse have to go and I'll replace the cows with goats. I'm putting a bore in which will give me a few more years of water for the trees.

I'm planting a lot of Tagasate (Tree Lucerne) which is quite drought tolerant. It is great for feeding livestock. It's 20-24% crude protein. Coppices well for firewood and it's nitrogen fixing. Also, works really well for wind and fire breaks. Just a great tree.

[Grunt]

When you get it all sorted let me know how you did it, I've been trying for years to be self sufficient, but can't.

Have you ever had a look at permaculture. It just makes sense. There are two books I recommend the first is An Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison and A Permaculture Home Garden by Linda Woodrow.

Also, have a look at what this bloke did just near the Dead Sea in Jordan. It's a short flash movie. http://www.blog.thesietch.org/wp-con...rmaculture.swf

[echnidna]

Have you ever had a look at permaculture. It just makes sense. There are two books I recommend the first is An Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison and A Permaculture Home Garden by Linda Woodrow.

Also, have a look at what this bloke did just near the Dead Sea in Jordan. It's a short flash movie. http://www.blog.thesietch.org/wp-con...rmaculture.swf

The Dead Sea project is very impressive

[Cliff Rogers]

Problem is Grunt, when the crunch comes you will have half a billion people camping on your ground expecting to be fed.

Al

This is what worries me too.... imagine what Oz would be like if we lost power for 2 weeks.

Neighbours like these 2 would be an asset.

[echnidna]

This is what worries me too.... imagine what Oz would be like if we lost power for 2 weeks.

Neighbours like these 2 would be an asset.

Now that I look harder Cliff I can see your family connection

[Cliff Rogers]

Now that I look harder Cliff I can see your family connection

All the better to hear you with my dear.