Preparing for the worst (short term and long term emergencies)

[Jimmy]

Does your god want you to be a good steward of the planet?

That has nothing to do with what I said.

 

[icehorse]

That has nothing to do with what I said.

That's an important premise of the entire thread.

So I'll ask again, does your god give you a pass when it comes to being a good steward of the planet? Are you off the hook?

 

[Alien826]

I'm old Really old. So the question is not "how will I survive?" but "do I want to survive?".

I'm thinking I would just need a gun, and one bullet.

 

[Jimmy]

That's an important premise of the entire thread.

So I'll ask again, does your god give you a pass when it comes to being a good steward of the planet? Are you off the hook?

Why would God say it’s OK to litter? Unless you got a different definition for good steward?

 

[Kathryn]

That's an important premise of the entire thread.

So I'll ask again, does your god give you a pass when it comes to being a good steward of the planet? Are you off the hook?

I get what you're saying. I think I have a moral obligation to live a few weeks but not necessarily a few months or years.

 

[icehorse]

Why would God say it’s OK to litter? Unless you got a different definition for good steward?

So then what did your posts 11 and 13 mean?

 

[Jimmy]

So then what did your posts 11 and 13 mean?

Just what they say.

 

[icehorse]

I think most Christians are aware that they will receive a new heaven and new earth when Christ returns.

I'm struggling to see how this relates to the OP?

 

[Jimmy]

I'm struggling to see how this relates to the OP?

It’s a direct rebuttal of your mad max world outlook.

 

[icehorse]

It’s a direct rebuttal of your mad max world outlook.

Ah ha! I would not have understood that without your clarification.

So let me try to see if I understand you: You're saying that you're confident that your god would not allow the world to turn into a mad max dystopia?

 

[Jimmy]

Ah ha! I would not have understood that without your clarification.

So let me try to see if I understand you: You're saying that you're confident that your god would not allow the world to turn into a mad max dystopia?

Oui that’s the good news

 

[icehorse]

I get what you're saying. I think I have a moral obligation to live a few weeks but not necessarily a few months or years.

Ah interesting. I wasn't thinking in terms of a moral obligation. That seems to become an interesting philosophical question I guess.

FWIW, as I imagine these horrible futures, I mostly think about how to survive it.

 

[Heyo]

I remain ever so slightly optimistic that humans will wake up, be honest about ecological overshoot, and take the hard steps necessary to actually save the planet and civilization. I think it's a long shot, but what else is there to do, but work towards saving the planet and society?

With that said, I've thought a lot about the "prepper" approach to facing the future. I've come to the conclusion that we all ought to be ready to deal with mid-length emergencies, i.e. a loss of services for a couple of weeks, maybe a month. It seems to me that if we lose services for much longer than that we'll quickly be living in a mad-max world. At that point, your bunker - no matter how elaborate - won't save you from the starving hordes for very long

The only possible solution I've come up with for surviving in a mad max world is to have some rare and indispensable skill(s) that the local strongman sees value in.

So long story short I'd propose:

- be ready for a loss of services of a couple of weeks.
- learn so useful skills for a mad max world
- in the meantime, it's probably good to work towards being a bit self-sufficient, things likes productive gardens, first aid skills...

I'm neither a prepper nor a survivalist, I just have a useful hobby, living history. I have a forge and some basic skills in a variety of crafts.

 

[Arnaud1221]

There is no end to humanity. There is moving to other town. Or neighbourhood.

 

[icehorse]

Oui that’s the good news

So why not drive a gas guzzling hummer and wear ocelot jackets? In other words, if god's got it covered why not be a hedonist?

 

[icehorse]

There is no end to humanity. There is moving to other town. Or neighbourhood.

What if that other town is like the movie Mad Max?

 

[Kathryn]

Ah interesting. I wasn't thinking in terms of a moral obligation. That seems to become an interesting philosophical question I guess.

FWIW, as I imagine these horrible futures, I mostly think about how to survive it.

I mostly think about bowing out gracefully.

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

I remain ever so slightly optimistic that humans will wake up, be honest about ecological overshoot, and take the hard steps necessary to actually save the planet and civilization. I think it's a long shot, but what else is there to do, but work towards saving the planet and society?

If you don't mind a semantic discussion, are you really optimistic if you call the outcome you prefer a longshot? I'd say that that should be called hopeful, but not optimistic if you hope for a good outcome but don't expect one. I'm also very hopeful that man minimizes climate change and that America remain a democracy, but I'm extremely pessimistic about the former and at about 50-50 on the latter (neither optimistic nor pessimistic).

So long story short I'd propose:

- be ready for a loss of services of a couple of weeks.
- learn so useful skills for a mad max world
- in the meantime, it's probably good to work towards being a bit self-sufficient, things likes productive gardens, first aid skills...

It sounds like you're giving advice to younger people with 40 or 70 years of life left. I'll be 70 next month (my life expectancy is about another 12 years), so my priorities are different.

Extreme weather hasn't been a problem where I live until we had a heat dome for about 6 weeks this year, so I'm thinking that that is not a great threat (we put in A/C recently). I don't see chaos or anarchy (Mad Max dystopia) as a realistic threat in the next several years, although I do see a second Trump presidency as a threat either by invasion of my new home (Mexico) or Trump seizing our bank accounts (American and Mexican).

My point is that one's plans for the future will vary according to one's circumstances, and an old person thinks differently than a young person. We are dependent on the infrastructure and supply chain and can't really become independent at this stage.

I also try to never let my car get below a half tank.

We do that as well, but principally as a defense against wildfire. We also have an emergency evacuation list (meds, cash, important papers, dog bowls and food with leashes, etc.). The most important rule is to evacuate at the first news of fire. Don't get caught in gridlock, which occurs when others feel the threat is imminent. Beat them out of town. No loss if it's for nothing.

I think most Christians are aware that they will receive a new heaven and new earth when Christ returns.

That attitude is part of the problem. It leads to complacency:

• "We don't have to protect the environment, the Second Coming is at hand" - James Watt, Secretary of the Interior under Reagan (note his position and responsibilities)
• "My point is, God's still up there. The arrogance of people to think that we, human beings, would be able to change what He is doing in the climate is to me outrageous." - Sen. Inhofe, R-Okla
• "The Earth will end only when God declares it's time to be over. Man will not destroy this Earth . . . . I do believe God's word is infallible, unchanging, perfect." - Rep John Shimkus, R-Ill.

 

[Jimmy]

If you don't mind a semantic discussion, are you really optimistic if you call the outcome you prefer a longshot? I'd say that that should be called hopeful, but not optimistic if you hope for a good outcome but don't expect one. I'm also very hopeful that man minimizes climate change and that America remain a democracy, but I'm extremely pessimistic about the former and at about 50-50 on the latter (neither optimistic nor pessimistic).

It sounds like you're giving advice to younger people with 40 or 70 years of life left. I'll be 70 next month (my life expectancy is about another 12 years), so my priorities are different.

Extreme weather hasn't been a problem where I live until we had a heat dome for about 6 weeks this year, so I'm thinking that that is not a great threat (we put in A/C recently). I don't see chaos or anarchy (Mad Max dystopia) as a realistic threat in the next several years, although I do see a second Trump presidency as a threat either by invasion of my new home (Mexico) or Trump seizing our bank accounts (American and Mexican).

My point is that one's plans for the future will vary according to one's circumstances, and an old person thinks differently than a young person. We are dependent on the infrastructure and supply chain and can't really become independent at this stage.

We do that as well, but principally as a defense against wildfire. We also have an emergency evacuation list (meds, cash, important papers, dog bowls and food with leashes, etc.). The most important rule is to evacuate at the first news of fire. Don't get caught in gridlock, which occurs when others feel the threat is imminent. Beat them out of town. No loss if it's for nothing.

That attitude is part of the problem. It leads to complacency:

• "We don't have to protect the environment, the Second Coming is at hand" - James Watt, Secretary of the Interior under Reagan (note his position and responsibilities)
• "My point is, God's still up there. The arrogance of people to think that we, human beings, would be able to change what He is doing in the climate is to me outrageous." - Sen. Inhofe, R-Okla
• "The Earth will end only when God declares it's time to be over. Man will not destroy this Earth . . . . I do believe God's word is infallible, unchanging, perfect." - Rep John Shimkus, R-Ill.

No it isn’t. It’s the good news.

 

[icehorse]

If you don't mind a semantic discussion, are you really optimistic if you call the outcome you prefer a longshot? I'd say that that should be called hopeful, but not optimistic if you hope for a good outcome but don't expect one. I'm also very hopeful that man minimizes climate change and that America remain a democracy, but I'm extremely pessimistic about the former and at about 50-50 on the latter (neither optimistic nor pessimistic).

Before I repsond to your thoughts.. A few weeks back I went to a Cosmic Charlie concert. They played nothing but Dead songs, but I wouldn't really call them a cover band. Their vibe was very Dead-like, but they didn't really try to copy the Dead. Two big thumbs up from me!

Ok, I'm happy to amend my statement to say "slightly hopeful" or some such.

I think a key point here is that we ought to start talking about "ecological overshoot" and stop fixating on climate change. Climate change is just a symptom of the far bigger problem of ecological overshoot.

It sounds like you're giving advice to younger people with 40 or 70 years of life left. I'll be 70 next month (my life expectancy is about another 12 years), so my priorities are different.

Extreme weather hasn't been a problem where I live until we had a heat dome for about 6 weeks this year, so I'm thinking that that is not a great threat (we put in A/C recently). I don't see chaos or anarchy (Mad Max dystopia) as a realistic threat in the next several years, although I do see a second Trump presidency as a threat either by invasion of my new home (Mexico) or Trump seizing our bank accounts (American and Mexican).

My point is that one's plans for the future will vary according to one's circumstances, and an old person thinks differently than a young person. We are dependent on the infrastructure and supply chain and can't really become independent at this stage.

I'm just a few years younger than you, but I think my advice still holds. If we're all better prepared and chipping in to improve sustainability, we'll be helping the youngsters

That attitude is part of the problem. It leads to complacency:

Yes! Thank you! Well put!