Could You Give Up Oranges in the Winter? Peak Oil Says You May Have To
I’ve got a big, fat honeydew melon ripening in the pantry, and a bunch of clementines piled up in an orange string bag. Could you live without fresh fruit and vegetables during the winter? If you’ve been reading this blog for the last year or two, you know I’ve talked about ‘peak oil‘, the point at which extracting the remaining oil from the ground becomes so costly that it not worth doing. In fact, oil production in 33 out of 48 countries has now peaked. What does this mean for you? It means everything that is not bought locally, and anything that has to be transported to you, will become prohibitively costly.
How would your life change if you could not buy anything that was not available locally? Would you learn canning? Would you move to a warm climate and plant citrus trees in your backyard? These questions are not as outlandish as you’d think. Peak oil, or The End of the Oil Age, as some call it, is right around the corner.
Here are some ideas from Peak Oil Hausfrau for meals that can be stored.
February 4th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
I love fresh fruit and veggies.
I’ve been working on eating local. If I absolutely had to, I would rather purchase from Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods than a local supermarket. These days I am trying even phase out the supermarkets.
Preserving food is work and I sense needs interest and these days necessity before it becomes natural to our lifestyles.
As an apartment dweller, I have very little storage facility for food… I can hear rebuttals already and would be interested in knowing how those who live in apts. store/preserve food other than grains and pastas.
In closing, re: fruits and veggies – take into account the cost factor of how much more you pay for the transport and packaging. Also, produce etc that comes from other countries – do you know if preservatives are used? These are issues I have yet to research and haven’t because of my decision that it is easier not to purchase.
February 4th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Oil won’t run out soon enough to save us from climate change – and there’s plenty of coal and gas to keep on burning…
so we need to move away from oil even before prices skyrocket. As the old adage goes, we didn’t leave the stone age because we ran out of stones…
we need to find better alternatives.
for more on peak oil see this post on my blog ClimateInc.org http://climateinc.org/2009/09/the-age-of-wisdom/
February 5th, 2010 at 8:58 am
I believe we’re at the point where “what if” shouldn’t be viewed as a consideration, but more as an imperative! It’s best we all learn to adapt–and the sooner the better.
February 8th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Well, I suppose we’ll just go back to the availability of our youths. That is, it was big deal for someone to bring back a box of oranges, if they vacationed in Florida or California. A little variety – even if forced – would probably be a good thing. No oranges? Then lets have a few more apples and such, local produce. Not such a bad thing.
February 8th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Bravo! Great insight, Sul.
June 13th, 2010 at 12:22 am
I understand that Hubberts peak is true and that we are now past the point of peak oil. I understand many of the current events have to do with this understanding and it won’t be long before the main stream media and population wake up and understand what is going on. For me and my family, we are preparing for the life after the crash.