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After extensive research on this subject, I reluctantly found myself agreeing with the doomsayers. Peak oil has probably already happened, or is happening now - which gives us only a few years until the crap starts to hit the fan and we all wish we had prepared better.
This gloomy scenario will happen much faster if a terrorist hits a major refinery, or another hurricane wipes out or even disrupts our southern refining plants and pipelines for an appreciable period...which is looking increasingly likely.
The new hurricane season starts soon, and with global warming fueling the intensity and number of storms, we may see another highly damaging hurricane season.
Those who learned not to trust the government after Katrina are still, amazingly, taking the government's word that everything oilwise is hunky dory, and that there is no urgency. Incredible. All it takes is some reading and logical thought to realize the truth, even if your take is that it won't be quite as bad as the worst predictions.
The folks in these small towns, preparing for peak oil, are laudable - but doomed to disappointment when the entire country descends upon them because of the relative warmth of their climate. When many thousands are hungry or cold, they don't stop at niceties about who owns the farm, unfortunately - they arm themselves and take it from you. Yes, I foresee a fairly apocalyptic version of life after peak oil - one of vastly reduced law enforcement, bare bones public services, and widespread shortages of food and water; not to mention the lawlessness that ensues during times of extreme want. We thought a bit of looting was shocking during Katrina? Wait until the average parent in America can't feed their children or keep them warm - we ain't seen nothin' yet.
Considering that even the modest predictions about peak oil indicate widespread hardship, it is smart to plan with an eye to the inevitable. Id some rich guy is actually hoarding 500 million in cas for this very contingency, why not assume that he has highly paid experts who have told him it is the wise thing to do?
Better safe than sorry.
