What Have You Done Recently To Improve Your Lifestyle & Chances Of Survival?

[lonewolf]

I'm a "Dinosaur" Alan, I LIKE being a dinosaur. I don't much care for modern life and modern gadgets, i'm only using a laptop because it was forced on me when we wanted to move 8 years ago, I had no other option, I either used it or stayed where we were.
I like the old ways, WHEN the power goes off, and it will-its come close several winters already, I have plans in place, that's what prepping is about, its not about amassing loads of gear, its about adapting to the situation whatever that might be.
anyway, its not about me, or you, or Keith or anyone else on this forum, what do you think the general population will do when the power goes off? i'll tell you what, panic that's what, because they haven't known anything else and they don't have a clue what to do without it, to say nothing of "withdrawal symptoms" when they cant access facebook or twitter or any of the other banal stuff they do on their so called "smart phones".

 

[Alanm]

I'm a "Dinosaur" Alan, I LIKE being a dinosaur. I don't much care for modern life and modern gadgets, i'm only using a laptop because it was forced on me when we wanted to move 8 years ago, I had no other option, I either used it or stayed where we were.
I like the old ways, WHEN the power goes off, and it will-its come close several winters already, I have plans in place, that's what prepping is about, its not about amassing loads of gear, its about adapting to the situation whatever that might be.
anyway, its not about me, or you, or Keith or anyone else on this forum, what do you think the general population will do when the power goes off? i'll tell you what, panic that's what, because they haven't known anything else and they don't have a clue what to do without it, to say nothing of "withdrawal symptoms" when they cant access facebook or twitter or any of the other banal stuff they do on their so called "smart phones".

I feel that reading your posts,you WANT a cataclysmic event to befall mankind, I really do.If your laptop was REALLY forced upon you,and you REALLY don't care for modern life then prove it by going OFFLINE for one whole month!

 

[Alanm]

I am calling you out Lonewolf! If you despise modern life that much , sack the internet. You cannot prove you are lighting with rush candles and eating pottage, but you can lose the computer that was forced on you.

 

[Ystranc]

Just to clarify something; I hope I was quite clear when I said that there is coal on the surface in Alaska, US. At no point did I claim or mean to infer that there is surface coal in the UK. Some of the remaining British coal is accessible and will continue to be so since most of the mines that were closed during the Thatcher era were not played out.
If at some point for any reason I need to burn coal as fuel then I won't hesitate....but I may feel bad about it.

 

[Keith]

My word! What monumental hypocrisy I am reading here! Keith uses a motor vehicle ( but not much,there's no option because of distance),and uses solar power.I use some solar too.However,it takes fossil fuel to produce panels,wiring ,regulators etc. I too have land planted with trees etc,which offsets carbon emissions,as Keith correctly states.

Lonewolf cannot understand our modern fixation with electricity.True,it has not been round that long, but it's here,and its damned useful! Lonewolf,you have lived with no electricity. Fair enough.I am sure you could again - but remember; no electricity would mean that this very forum would not exist.In an earlier post Lonewolf you stated that you are not allowed to burn solid fuel at the moment.If the power goes off ( normal outage,not SHTF) you have to rely on the grid.

I for one LIKE electricity.I LIKE the independence of solid fuel ( at the moment coal is legal).What I find irksome is when folks get holier than thou about being 'environmentally friendly'," I don't use the car much; not like you - so I am greener!",or " I get my energy from a certified green energy company, not like you; you burn fossil fuel!"

To sneer at modern fuels and ways of living,is to throw yourself,or purport to,back into the dark ages.As I said earlier,We ALL have a negative impact on the environment, if only by being alive.

I think as survivalists & preppers that we should be concerned with the environment & pollution, & I think we should all do the best we can with what we have to improve & lessen the negative impact on the environment. I like electricity because the fridge is more efficient than a coolgardie safe.
It is true that fossil fuel is used to produce some of the solar technology, but more companies & local councils are now changing over to solar power so hopefully in the future solar power will reproduce itself.
Someone who rubbishes other people is not making themselves any better. You are either doing the best you can or you are not. I consider that I & my family are doing the best we can with what we have at present, but we are always trying to improve. We have installed a solar powered laundry outside so other family members, including us do not have to take the bulky washing to town to use the grid powered launderette in the city. Two of my sons have got rid of one of their two vehicles.
You know that burning coal is bad for the environment, & you know that you are contributing to the demand for coal & coal mines. You choose to ignore this even though you could quite easily use wood instead of coal. If you can think of a way that we can improve our way of living to help the environment, then I will welcome your ideas & consider them. But don't expect me to change my mind about you using fossil fuels just because you try to find fault with the way we live.
I suggest you think on this & move on.
Keith.

 

[Alanm]

I think as survivalists & preppers that we should be concerned with the environment & pollution, & I think we should all do the best we can with what we have to improve & lessen the negative impact on the environment. I like electricity because the fridge is more efficient than a coolgardie safe.
It is true that fossil fuel is used to produce some of the solar technology, but more companies & local councils are now changing over to solar power so hopefully in the future solar power will reproduce itself.
Someone who rubbishes other people is not making themselves any better. You are either doing the best you can or you are not. I consider that I & my family are doing the best we can with what we have at present, but we are always trying to improve. We have installed a solar powered laundry outside so other family members, including us do not have to take the bulky washing to town to use the grid powered launderette in the city. Two of my sons have got rid of one of their two vehicles.
You know that burning coal is bad for the environment, & you know that you are contributing to the demand for coal & coal mines. You choose to ignore this even though you could quite easily use wood instead of coal. If you can think of a way that we can improve our way of living to help the environment, then I will welcome your ideas & consider them. But don't expect me to change my mind about you using fossil fuels just because you try to find fault with the way we live.
I suggest you think on this & move on.
Keith.[/QUOTE
For a start, solar will not reproduce solar. Some components are made using petroleum chemicals. It is noble that one of your lads has done away with a vehicle, but you still preach environmentalism from your hypocritical pulpit to the rest of us! Cars , worldwide, contributes about a fifth of greenhouse gases to the planet. That's a big number. You tell me to stop burning fossil fuels, I tell you to get rid of your car ( which burns fossil fuel and takes a lot of fossil fuel and water to produce too),

 

[Alanm]

Sorry my message above got embedded in Keiths when I quoted him.Should wear my reading specs! Anyhow,a link

http://spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/solar/solar-energy-isnt-always-as-green-as-you-think.

An interesting article.Also shows why solar will not reproduce solar.

 

[Alanm]

I will reiterate: We all make an impact on the planet,just by living,all of us.

Keith,don't preach at me when you yourself drive a car and use a computer.Your internet use relies on outside servers which in turn use a lot of energy,likely as not created by gas or coal!

 

[Keith]

Sorry my message above got embedded in Keiths when I quoted him.Should wear my reading specs! Anyhow,a link

http://spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/solar/solar-energy-isnt-always-as-green-as-you-think.

An interesting article.Also shows why solar will not reproduce solar.

A very interesting & enlightening article, though my interpretation of this information is different from your own. This article indicates that some manufacturers are causing more pollution than they need to, in particular, those in China & the damage is done mostly to the local environment. This article indicates as far as I understand it that the problems with production can be rectified, & will improve more with time.
If anyone is interested I suggest you read this article for yourselves & draw your own conclusions.
Keith.

 

[Keith]

I will reiterate: We all make an impact on the planet,just by living,all of us.

Keith,don't preach at me when you yourself drive a car and use a computer.Your internet use relies on outside servers which in turn use a lot of energy,likely as not created by gas or coal!

So you are saying that because other people are using coal, then you can use coal too without any blame. No sorry, it doesn't wash Alan. You are simply adding to a problem that is already there. I think your idea that everyone should stop using the internet because it has a high carbon footprint is not practicle. I agree that the whole issue becomes very involved & there are a lot of grey areas, but with some of these carbon footprints there simply is at this time no practicle alternative. You can stop burning coal & it will make little difference to you in regards to hardship, but if we were for instance to stop using the internet, then I would not receive emails, I would not be on this forum, I would not be able to produce my videos, my wife would not be able to work from home, at what point to we stop using all the modern technology that has a carbon footprint? I would gladly stop using all modern technology if I was able to, but in this day & age that is not possible because of all the requirements placed upon us by our government. I will bet that even modern medicine has a carbon footprint, do we stop using that as well?
Keith.

 

[lonewolf]

I am calling you out Lonewolf! If you despise modern life that much , sack the internet. You cannot prove you are lighting with rush candles and eating pottage, but you can lose the computer that was forced on you.

i'll just wait until this one goes bang, shouldn't be long its on its last legs now.
but you are right, in trying to keep this forum going I have neglected my other projects and I need to get back to them.

 

[lonewolf]

I feel that reading your posts,you WANT a cataclysmic event to befall mankind, I really do.

its not that I want an event to befall mankind, I think its kind of inevitable, one day the whole sorry mess that we call "civilisation" will collapse, it has happened many time before in human history and it will again, we are not exempt, some may think we are invincible with all our technology, but relying heavily on technology as we do will be what causes the collapse. it dosent bother me as I have prepared, as have you and many others, but the vast majority of the population have not and they will be the ones that will suffer in a major catastrophe.
preppers may be thought of as crazy by any that even give us a second thought, but in reality we are visionaries not fools.

 

[Keith]

its not that I want an event to befall mankind, I think its kind of inevitable, one day the whole sorry mess that we call "civilisation" will collapse, it has happened many time before in human history and it will again, we are not exempt, some may think we are invincible with all our technology, but relying heavily on technology as we do will be what causes the collapse. it dosent bother me as I have prepared, as have you and many others, but the vast majority of the population have not and they will be the ones that will suffer in a major catastrophe.
preppers may be thought of as crazy by any that even give us a second thought, but in reality we are visionaries not fools.

Not so sure about technology being the downfall, indirectly maybe? Not sure. But if some other shtf situation does not happen to cut down the population, the over population will in itself be the downfall. There are food & water supply problems now, & the warnings are that this is going to get worse. Climate predictions are for less rainfall over long periods, with possibly flood rains when it does rain. Not a good outlook. When people have to go hungry, knowing that others have plenty, then you have the catalyst for rebellion, revolution & maybe civil war. It has to come, I don't see a way of avoiding it. Maybe not in our time mate, but it will come.
Keith.

 

[lonewolf]

All previous civilisations had one thing in common, a level of technology simple enough for people to access their daily needs by their own labour and just sit back and wait for civilisation to reassert itself no matter how long that took.
we are in a situation now that it is impossible to realise our level of technology without the infrastructure to support it.
we are so interconnected that the whole world would be affected if our civilisation collapses, we have built a monumental house of cards held together by worldwide connections that are very fragile to disruption.
only those that can adapt to life without the trappings of modern life are the ones likely to survive, anyone who cannot adjust will go the way of 90% of the species that once lived on this planet but are no more.

 

[greenbear]

Sorry my message above got embedded in Keiths when I quoted him.Should wear my reading specs! Anyhow,a link

http://spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/solar/solar-energy-isnt-always-as-green-as-you-think.

An interesting article.Also shows why solar will not reproduce solar.

There is a basic formula which suggests that "energy invested should be lower than energy produced" to make a product green. The article is sniping at the fairly obvious fact that in some place it takes longer to recoup that energy. But you do have to look at the bigger picture. For example, fitting a solar panel to the roof of a canal boat does not just power the lights, it can save you starting the engine to recharge the batteries, having the additional effect of saving energy from Diesel fuel. It really does depend on the application of the technology.

 

[Keith]

There is a basic formula which suggests that "energy invested should be lower than energy produced" to make a product green. The article is sniping at the fairly obvious fact that in some place it takes longer to recoup that energy. But you do have to look at the bigger picture. For example, fitting a solar panel to the roof of a canal boat does not just power the lights, it can save you starting the engine to recharge the batteries, having the additional effect of saving energy from Diesel fuel. It really does depend on the application of the technology.

Good points Brownbear.
Keith.

 

[Keith]

Two of my boys have been cutting more wood today. I will start loading & carting tomorrow. More cutting tomorrow too.
Keith.

 

[Keith]

Still more wood to bring in from the forest. I do a load each day, loading the 4WD, carting it back to the wood shed & stacking it either in the wood shed or outside if the wood is still wet.
Keith.