Emergency preparedness: How to survive an energy crisis

The United States has experienced an energy crisis before. In the 1970s, the country experienced two disastrous energy crises – one in 1973 and another in 1979 – due to instability in the Middle East.

This kind of disaster can happen anywhere and at any time, and as such, it is important that you start preparing for the next energy crisis.

Rethink the importance of your car

The next energy crisis will most likely not be caused by the world ending as you know it. However, it will make life for you, your family and your community significantly harder. One of the ways it will do this is by making you unable to depend on your car for transportation. When many gas stations shut down and the remaining ones have lines that are several miles long, you need to start thinking beyond your car.

If at all possible, you need to start working from home. Ask your boss if you can work from home full time or for several days a week in order to save on fuel. If you’re unable to do so, see if you can carpool with some of your co-workers who live nearby, with everyone in the carpool contributing small amounts for gas.

Take public transport if it works efficiently where you live. If not, consider alternative transportation methods such as electric scooters, bicycles or walking. Doing so will reduce your need for gasoline and allow you to work your way through heavy traffic. If you plan to bike or walk to work, then you get some great exercise out of it as well. (Related: 12 Reasons why you should start cycling; It slows down the aging process and boosts immunity.)

Produce your own food

Food these days has to travel long distances before it finds its way to grocery store shelves. If oil prices go up, so too will the cost of your food. Many food items may not even be able to make it to your grocery because there may not be enough fuel to transport it there.

Unless you want to pay the new high prices for food, you’ll need to seek alternatives. The best thing you can do is to produce your own food by starting a small garden in your backyard.

Better yet, try to get several of your neighbors to come together to work on a community garden that can provide your community with a variety of fruits, vegetables and possibly even livestock like chicken if your city’s laws allow it.

Pay attention to the world around you

It’s understandable if you want to cut yourself off from reading or listening to the news every day, given the intense negativity present there. During an energy crisis, however, you will have to have some extra mental fortitude because you need to pay attention to what is going on in the world.

The next energy crisis is right around the corner, and you may be able to tell if it’s coming just by paying attention to the news. Conflicts, economic collapse and other disasters like extreme weather events and disease outbreaks can all have negative effects on the free flow of fuel.

Stay updated on the news and act accordingly. Understand that the next energy crisis isn’t just going to affect your food and transportation. It will make almost everything in your life cost more.

Learn more about what you can do to prepare for an energy crisis and for other types of disasters by reading the latest articles at Disaster.news.

Sources include:

BackdoorSurvival.com

EnergyEducation.ca

PermacultureNews.org