Year: 2008


What Will We Eat as the Oil Runs Out? (Pt. 2) , by Richard Heinberg

Impact of Biofuels One factor influencing food prices arises from the increasing incentives for farmers worldwide to grow biofuel crops rather than food crops. Ethanol and biodiesel can be produced from a variety of crops including maize, soy, rapeseed, sunflower, cassava, sugar cane, palm, and jatropha. As the price of oil rises, many farmers are finding that they can produce more income from their efforts by growing these crops and selling them to a biofuels plant, than by growing food crops either for their local community or for export. Already nearly 20 percent of the US maize crop is devoted …


Richard Heinberg: Conclusion and Footnotes

To conclude, let me simply restate what is I hope clear by now: Given the fact that fossil fuels are limited in quantity and that we are already in view of the global oil production peak, we must turn to a food system that is less fuel-reliant, even if the process is problematic in many ways. Of course, the process will take time; it is a journey that will take place over decades. Nevertheless, it must begin soon, and it must begin with a comprehensive plan. The transition to a fossil-fuel-free food system does not constitute a distant utopian proposal. …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The latest news is that Detroit’s Big Three Auto makers are courting Congress for a $25 billion dollar bailout. This will make the $1.2 billion in loan guarantees to Chrysler in 1979/1980 seem small, by comparison. Just as I had warned, the Mother Of All Bailouts (MOAB) continues to expand in both size and scope. It seems that Congress knows no bounds when it comes to plunging their hands into our wallets.    o o o Cheryl N. flagged this: US Still Naked to EMP Threat    o o o Cheryl also sent us this raft of economic articles and …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The US economy is crumbling because the way we conduct the activities of daily life is insane relative to our circumstances. We’ve spent sixty years ramping up a suburban living arrangement that has suddenly entered a state of failure, and all its accessories and furnishings are failing in concert. The far-flung McHouse tracts are becoming both useless and worthless in the face of gasoline prices that will never be cheap again. The strip malls and office “parks” are following the residential real estate off a cliff. The retail tenants of all those places are hemorrhaging customers who have maxed out …



What Will We Eat as the Oil Runs Out? (Pt. 1), by Richard Heinberg

The first dilemma consists of the direct impacts on agriculture of higher oil prices: increased costs for tractor fuel, agricultural chemicals, and the transport of farm inputs and outputs. The second is an indirect consequence of high oil prices – the increased demand for biofuels, which is resulting in farmland being turned from food production to fuel production, thus making food more costly. The third dilemma consists of the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events caused by fuel-based greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change is the greatest environmental crisis of our time; however, fossil fuel depletion complicates the situation …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader RH says: “I have been collecting Foxfire books for some 20 years now. I was so happy to find Foxfire.org! These books have so much important information from the past for our future, lest we forget.”    o o o Tina in the Philippines sent us this article: Iligan folk seek St. Michael help, also bear arms. Tina’s comment: “A real big surprise for me, cause I’ve been asking around about the gun laws here, and generally understand that its very restrictive. So many various permits are needed, and separate permits if you want to transport your gun to …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks he’s a fool. He laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The shivering grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold. – Aesop (620BC – 560BC)



Letter Re: How to Store All Those Saved Nickels

Mr. Rawles: I diligently read your “nickels”article and archived follow-ups, but nowhere do you mention which size ammo can it is that cubes rolled nickels for storage most efficiently? I have cleaned out my children’s bank accounts slowly over the last few weeks and am walking into random banks and grocery stores converting the cash into rolled nickels. ”Havin’ a yard sale, don’t ya know.”.Wink. It keeps the Stepford bank weenies from asking unnecessary questions. – Laura C.; Hiding in Plain Sight, Somewhere Deep In The People’s Republic of Northern Virginia JWR Replies: In my experience, the USGI .30 caliber …


Letter Re: New High Performance .410 Shotgun Slugs for Self Defense?

Dear SurvivalBlog Editor, Anyone considering the 410/.22 long rifle combo or any other 410 bore shotgun for survival use should take a look at the new state of the 410 slug. It is far more powerful than before and has potential as a defensive weapon against dangerous animals, human attack or as a big game getter. Those interested in details may find it at Hoening Big Bore South. You may want to check this out occasionally as work continues on new loads for smooth bores and barrel offerings. – James Hoening JWR Replies: In my estimation the standard factory .410 …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The Werewolf (our correspondent in Brazil) mentioned a free web site with 883,542 downloadable manuals on 3,627 brands of products.    o o o Frequent contributor Cheryl N. spotted this: Sharp US money supply contraction points to Wall Street crunch ahead. As I’ve been warning for nearly a year, the global credit collapse is going to have some profound and long-lasting effects, and thusfar we are nowhere near the bottom.    o o o Ogre sent us a link to an article about Fannie and Freddie’s Uncertain Future    o o o And from Eric, comes this expected news: Food …



Note from JWR:

Get your entries in for Round 18 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Starting with this round, the contest prize list has been expanded. The prizes now include: First Prize: The writer of the best contributed article in the next 60 days will be awarded two transferable Front Sight  “Gray” Four Day Training Course Certificates. This is an up to $4,000 value! Second Prize: A course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing Round 18 …