Collapse of Food, Water & Energy Systems

Here's some disturbing news — there is evidence that the world's food, water and energy systems are under threat of collapse.

Richard Duncan, formerly of the World Bank, and a chief economist at Blackhorse Asset Management told a CNBC reporter that America's $16 trillion federal debt has escalated into a "death spiral" that could plunge the U.S. economy into a depression so severe that he doesn't "think our civilization could survive it."

Duncan isn't the only one who thinks this way. Laurence Kotikoff was a member of President Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers, and he agrees with Duncan.

But, that's just money, right?

Not necessarily.

Chris Martenson, a pathologist and former VP of a Fortune 300 company, is a member on a team of scientists, economists and geopolitical analysts. He says that the team has identified a pattern in the debt, total credit market, and money supply that "guarantees" they're going to fail. "The pattern is nearly the same as in any pyramid scheme, one that escalates exponentially fast before it collapses," according to Martenson.

Then he spells out the real nature of the looming disaster. "…what's really disturbing about these findings is that the pattern isn't limited to our economy. We found the same catastrophic pattern in our energy, food, and water systems as well."

Keith Fitz-Gerald, president of the Fitz-Gerald Group, is another member of the team. According to him, "What this pattern represents is a dangerous countdown clock that's quickly approaching zero. And when it does, the resulting chaos is going to crush Americans. If our research is right, Americans will have to make some tough choices on how they'll go about surviving when basic necessities become nearly unaffordable…. "

So what does this mean to you? Maybe the real question is: are you ready to survive if the food, water, and energy systems in America collapse? What would you do?

There is a wise saying: When the crisis strikes, the time for preparation is over. Take stock of what you have on hand to take care of your daily needs over a long term — months, maybe even years. Could you permanently shift into a self-sufficiency lifestyle that would allow you to provide yourself with enough food, water and energy to keep yourself and your loved-ones alive and thriving?

If there's any hesitation in your response to that question, now's the time to start moving in a more positive direction. Start learning what you need to know to survive. The more you know, the less you need. Stock up on necessities. Learn to use them on a daily basis. Make meals out of your long-term storage food supply, so you learn how to use those items most efficiently and get used to eating that way. Set up a long-term water collection and purification system. Practice economizing when it comes to water usage — you can't let the water run while washing hands and brushing teeth. Make arrangements for a waste disposal (toilet) system that's not a water hog. Figure out how to use whatever resources would be available if civilization collapsed to keep your house warm enough in winter. Think about alternative transportation modes if there were no traditional energy sources like gas or diesel available. Consider communication systems that don't depend on the grid.

I know it's a lot to think about. Keep coming back here. We'll be talking about all this stuff.