Question about Peak Oil: how realistic is it to stockpile one's own

[spooked911]

supply of gasoline (say if one lives in the suburbs)? What about getting a large underground tank that could hold a few hundred gallons and slowly filling it up over a few years? Would this be legal? Would this be useful at all? Or is it merely forestalling the inevitable?

[liberal43110]

1. Sorry...

But the concept of Peak Oil means that we, as a planet, will peak, and eventually RUN OUT. You can stockpile all you want, and maybe it will be useful to you, should things get serious enough in your lifetime.

But if things get serious enough in your lifetime, then stockpiling some gasoline probably won't be enough.

[0007]

12. Could also be a tremendous liability

[Oreo]

2. Wouldn't work

Unless you live in the country you'd need a permit.
More importantly... I'm pretty sure gas goes bad after a year or so.

[Bethany Rockafella]

3. No hording stuff like that.

If the government find out, they'll take it from you.

[Selteri]

4. Not very

Gasoline can be stored, with the right proceedures, but it isn't very stable for a long period of time.

[havocmom]

5. You would have to check with local laws. Most places, tanks have to be

underground and very specific. Don't know that you could hold enough for the rest of your lifetime. Would suspect you will get visited by some federalies if you make any large purchases.

Not realistic unless you have a ranch or farm.

And, yeah, you would not be preventing the inevitable. Unless you grow your own food, you are still gonna get hurt by oil shortages. Food does not get to you on its own feet.

[Warpy]

6. John Denver did that one in the 70s

much to the disgust of all his fans who'd bought into that "gosh heck" country boy image.

However, he lived on a lot of acreage. I think it might be doable, but you'd have to check out what the regulations are on the tank construction and how to line the soil around it to prevent leaking over time. If it ever does leak, you'll need to have all contaminated soul removed and that means you'll have a house on a pit. Plus, you need to consider how you're going to pump it out when you need it. Any crisis that severe will also cut down the availability of electrical power. Plus, in any congested area, you have to make sure you have it secured against both theft and vandalism, something Denver didn't have to worry about way out in the middle of godforsaken nowhere.

And yes, it's just forestalling the inevitable.

[Bouncy Ball]

7. Ooooo please don't do that.

VERY dangerous. We looked into it about six years ago and decided not to almost immediately.

Better to stock up on water, canned goods, learn some useful skills, etc.

[eallen]

8. Why not invest in oil and gas trusts?

Storing your own gasoline is, um, problematic. But there are a variety of companies and trusts whose underlying value is the reserves, from which they extract oil and gas. In addition, US and Canadian trusts typically pay a dividend in the 9% range. If the price of oil and gas continue to climb, so will their dividend and their value. For example, here's the chart for the BP Prudhoe Bay Trust:



It currently sells for about $67/shr, and pays $6 annual dividend. If oil goes to $80/bbl, those numbers will go up. :toast:

Of course, if oil goes back to $35/bbl, those numbers will go down. :cry:

Either way, you won't need a large tank in your back yard to store gasoline. There are a variety of other energy trusts and companies. Any believer in peak oil who is confident in his crystal ball should be investing in this fashion. My crystal ball is old and cracked and sometimes gives me the wrong answer. Still, I suspect a few thousand put into these kinds of investments will do better than the same money put into the purchase and installation of a big gas tank. :smoke:

[spooked911]

10. An interesting idea-- though any sort of specific investment like

that is a bit scary to me.

And if the world economies collapse from severe recessions brought about by oil shortages, how good will ANY investment be?

Also, what don't you see clearly about oil running out soon? Do you think it won't happen or other technologies will be bale to pick up the slack?

[liberal43110]

19. It's terrifying

Many scientists (not just crazies, but true scientists--in addition to people in the oil and financial industries) are in agreement that world oil production will peak between 2005 and 2001.

A superb video of a Caltech professor's speech on the subject from last year is at http://today.caltech.edu/theater/5602_cable.ram

Also, please feel free to PM me if you're interested in talking more!

[eallen]

20. As opposed to storing a large amount of gasoline?!?

Yes, investing in individual stocks carries considerable financial risk. Diversification is important. Don't put more than a small fraction of your portfolio in any one stock. Still, the worst thing that happens with such an investment is that its value goes to zero, and you lose your investment in it.

Yet you were thinking of building a gasoline storage tank. Gasoline is far from a benign substance. What happens if your tank develops a leak, and before you notice and fix it, a few dozen of gallons of your gasoline leaches into your neighbor's soil? Your liability doesn't end with your investment, and I doubt your homeowner's policy will cover it. I can imagine six- or seven-digit liability by the time all is said and done.

:wow:

And if any of that leaked gasoline ignites...

:nuke:

I think I'll stick with stocks and trusts.

:hippie:

[spooked911]

9. Thanks for all the great answers!

I was mostly wondering how useful having one's own personal emergency suupply would be, but sounds like it wouldn't be very useful for when the oil really runs out.

[karlrschneider]

11. The only real problem is keeping it from going "sour". We have a 200

gallon tank mounted up on a scaffold for the airplane because we often keep it at a private airstrip where fuel isn't available. The hose just drains the gas out by gravity & we have a supplier drive out with a tanker to fill it when needed. I wouldn't advise you to store more than you can use in about 6 month...you can buy fuel stabilizer from any marine store but I think it's kind of expensive. It will keep it 'fresh' for a year or so.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[spooked911]

14. Well I do want my kids to survive--

but no I don't want to fuck everybody else. I understand how it sounds selfish, but everybody has to look out for themselves to some extent.

[FlemingsGhost]

15. Wouldn't it be easier to ween yourself off petrol?

Cheaper, too.

[Egalitariat]

16. If gasoline was the only problem, then maybe

Running out of oil means no plastic, and it means no semis on the road delivering groceries to your local store. And it means no oil power plants lighting up your house and your television. And it means no asphalt for you to run your car on (with your stockpiled gasoline).

The "ands" go on forever. Oil is too entrenched into our lives. Alternative sources are a good idea to stave off running out for awhile. But when we do eventually run out, life is going to be very, very ugly regardless of what new technologies we dream up between now and then.

[natrat]

17. get a bicycle

think of the quadriceps. Here's a good article i ran across today

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/7203633?rnd=1111860430596&has-player=true

[bush_is_wacko]

18. Holy Crap! Don't do it in my neighborhood please!

Seems quite dangerous. Those tanks have been known to leak and I would bet there are laws requiring a license and a thorough inspection and regulatory process!

[Strelnikov_]

21. For Emergency Fuel Storage, Consider Kerosene Or Ethanol

Sounds like a diesel can be run on Kerosene, along with heaters, lamps, stoves, etc.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/warner43.html