Can anyone point me in the direction of #disabled persons pursuing self-sufficient lifestyles? The #disability could be mental, physical, or other and the self-sufficiency could be from a #Permaculture, #Prepping or #Sustainability perspective.
Looking for social media accounts, books, blogs, youtube or people doing this kind of thing outside of modern socials that would be happy to have a conversation about it.
From #luxurybunkers to tactical vehicles, the ultra-rich are preparing for the Big One
A Virginia-based firm that builds multimillion-dollar #fortifiedhomes and bomb shelters has had "steady" work for years but that he has seen a "major uptick in the last two, three months."
In the riveting sequel to EMP: Equipping Modern Patriots- A Story of Survival, Jonathan Hollerman masterfully paints a realistic world of chaos and despair and an incredible will to survive in the aftermath of a nationwide, long-term, grid down scenario.
We have recently seen catastrophic fires in places that either are used to having them and dealing with them effectively, (California, Chile, Hawaii, Texas, Greece, Canary Islands, Spain, Italy) or in places that rarely have them (parts of Canada, UK). The fires are fed with high winds and extreme drought, are not able to be controlled, cause loss of human life and apocalyptic loss of the environment including animal and plant life. This is becoming more and more common and seasons are lasting longer or year round. The fires are burning deep under snow to spring back to life at first thaw.
So what can we do to minimize the danger to ourselves? There are a few things we can do and have been doing, but we must up the ante. Fire smart communities must go farther than sweeping leaves off patios and trimming trees. We need accelerated training of as many people as possible in firefighting and management. We need firebreaks around communities, and huge scale equipment such as community perimeter sprinklers and water reservoirs to go with them. We need massive organized groups that deal with evacuations, temporary housing, and rebuilding in the aftermath. We need regular folks to get trained and knowledgeable in a lateral way with professional firefighting. We need large scale plans of evac routes, plan B, plan C with emergency shelters for people, pets, livestock.
My family spent 1000s of dollars of savings and retirement money to have danger trees removed, power line avenues limbed and some brushing done this past summer. It's barely enough and we are broke now. The rest we must do ourselves as the brush grows, and the trees shed. But so many more people out there can't even afford that or have the means to do it themselves. We need taxes to pay for fire mitigation across the board, in every back yard and every community. We need to do this together. And we need to do this AT THE SAME TIME that we use less energy, travel less, consume less, as we transition rapidly away from any form of fossil fuel. It's hard, it's daunting, it's almost impossible, but not quite. Every area, every country has unique challenges to all of this, but if we on the ground all start now, today we might have a chance to make it better and survive.
"Owing to the ever-increasing food insecurity globally and the deteriorating quality of crop production, the role of duckweed in the human diet, which uses no arable land for its cultivation, becomes quite crucial. The capability of producing rapidly and possessing high protein content makes the researchers keen for exploring the possibilities of utilizing duckweed for human consumption on large scale."
Downloadable white papers on the use of duckweed is available on the website here as well as more information:
I think part of the reason why it's so easy for bad faith actors, conspiracy theorists, and alternative agenda types to convince the average person that climate change is a hoax is because, for instance, in my area and many others, the changes are subtle. Aside from that horrific heat dome a couple of years ago, the type of weather we are seeing is actually not that unusual. When I was a little kid, (an undisclosed number of years ago) we normally got 4 or 5 ft. of snow. Then as my kids were very small and growing, we rarely got much snow for Christmas, a skiff that melted and then maybe 8 to 12 inches in January. Then, the snow load slowly increased again and then in Feb. of 2017 we got a 5 ft. snow fall over about 3 days. For at least a dozen years, 3 or 4 feet was usual. Now we are back to warmth and rain with El Nino. This winter will again be very little snow with a lot of cloudy, rainy days.
But here's the thing. The changes are very apparent if you are paying attention, if you garden, spend a lot of time outside, use phenology for the timing of planting, harvesting and make written notes. The drought is not just lack of rain, it is deep drying of the earth so that foundations of very old houses are shifting as the soil structure degrades. It is forests so dry they burn so fast and unabated and like last summer in one area, freakily burned silently. Forest fires that burn towns so suddenly, people have to run for their lives even with our modern equipment and communications. It is weird diseases I've never seen in the garden before like asters yellow, tree stress and disease that is slowly killing off our fir forests. It is massive lack of bugs and insects, not just pollinators but all kinds. Forty years ago, the only rats were in coastal areas, now inland up in the mountains, my whole area is infested with Norway and Roof rats, not just the usual pack rats. The Norway rats are taking over and it's a losing battle for many of us. And it's a complete lack of typical patterns that we use to count on, now the weird weather is rapid fire changing from one week to the next. Forecasts are less reliable even with much better equipment and methods.
People will argue until the flood waters have gone over their head whether it's man-made or not. But, at the end of the day, all we can do, should do, must do, is try to live lighter on the planet, take care of this precious land we live on, and provide as much education and knowledge that we have so that we can help the next generations as much as possible.
People are into prepping for a lot of different reasons. For me and my situation, I prep for 2 reasons: 1- short term situations such as snow storms, power outages, other extreme climate and weather events 2- a complete grid down/collapse scenario.
Now with the second one, of course no one can prep for perpetual or totally self-sustainable futures. It's just not possible. But what a really good prepper stash DOES do for you, is buy you time and options. The worse recent war-time scenarios have historically lasted at the most a few years.
Being able to stay fed, hydrated, warm and hidden for the first few weeks or months gives you time to plan for the long term. It keeps you alive and well until governments re-form, aid from other countries arrives, until the dust settles and the first wave of panic and fear subsides. It can keep you healthy and strong until like-minded groups can put communities back together. It also gives you a way to keep your neighbours safe and improve their situations in the same way.
Some people have the resources to prep extremely well, others can only do a little. But anything at all that you can do can significantly improve your chances of safety and survival.
Practical Doomsday: A User's Guide to the End of the World
As a leading security engineer, Michal Zalewski has spent his career methodically anticipating and planning for cyberattacks. In Practical Doomsday, Zalewski applies the same thoughtful, rational approach to preparing for disasters of all kinds. By sharing his research, advice, and a healthy dose of common sense, he’ll help you rest easy knowing you have a plan for the worst—even if the worst never comes.
"I’m looking at two bowls of lasagna. These ready-to-eat meals with a 25-year shelf life come from two US-based survival food companies. Preparation is simple: Just add hot water. One can be eaten after about 12 minutes, the other after just six. Neither looks particularly appetizing." —Jacopo Prisco for Wired
I slept through a storm last night that was powerful enough to take out the power here for 10 hours. I had the genny going all day for the fridge and freezers. Going into winter, the fridge is not so much a problem but the freezers are unless it is VERY cold outside. And even then, it would be a huge job to transfer all that food outside into a safe space to keep it frozen. It's not likely to get that cold here for at least a couple of months. I try not to keep too much gas on hand because it is hard to get gas that has no ethanol in it which isn't great for the generator. (it settles out in a few months and can mess up the engine) I can buy fuel stabilizer but it's fairly expensive. But if we got a big outage, say a week, it would be hard to have that much fuel stored either way. We would be cooking and canning food like crazy but still some would be lost to spoilage.
This is my weak spot in prepping. I don't have solar yet, because of finances. We are good for water, heat, and light. Until I can install solar for food preservation, the best thing to do is can as much as possible instead of relying on frozen food.
The Tower is falling fairly fast now. We are all traumatized by the news, social media, the images coming out of places torn apart by war, fires, floods, earthquakes and hurricanes. Some of those places are very close to us, some far away.
But it truly is a waste of time to either fret endlessly and do nothing, or pretend all is fine and carry on making foolish plans that continue to consume resources and contribute to this collapsing world.
I plan on hunkering down for at least the foreseeable future. Keep track of my community, check in with friends often and put into place all the systems that I can to keep my family safe from all the probable dangers in my area. I will continue to fortify this space we call home, make it as safe and supportive as possible. Raise the littles with strength, common sense and knowledge. Learn and keep learning new skills, crafts, and techniques.
And most of all- keep hope alive. Offer libations. Dust the altar. Turn the Wheel.
We started our big fire mitigation project today. The first thing was the huge danger tree poplar in the front that shades the house (bad for solar panels should we decide to get some). It lost huge missiles during wind storms and was starting to die from the inside.
It sucks to take down trees that still have green on them, but the hard decisions have to be made. A few other live trees are going to come down as well, all with exposed roots on the hillside leaning toward the house. Some limbing and brushing around the power lines will finish it for this year. It's a lot of work but we are keeping all the wood chips for the hen house and gardens. All the logs will be either cut up to dry for firewood or used in hügelkultur beds or raised beds for the gardens.
We might not be able to stop a wildfire if one comes this way next summer but at least we can try to do as much as we are able to reduce the risk.
How to Cope with Climate Change when it's worst effects come at you personally. Some initial thoughts. And we're open to suggestions! Use the comments section or talk to me here.
@johnshirley2024 Coping with #climatechange will require at least the same level of #disaster#preparedness that is recommended for hurricanes, earthquakes and so forth. The new part is that the disaster never ends. So at some point coping tips into bug-out #prepping, safe places, and probably personal protection (because you are prepared and they are not). It probably won’t be more difficult than living in a desert war zone.
Camping in the autumn is so much nicer than any other time of the year. The roads are less busy with tourists, the campgrounds are mostly empty, usually camp fires are allowed if it's been rainy. The crisp mornings by a campfire making coffee and scrambled eggs while watching the sun come up through the golden trees just can't be beat for getting away and relaxing.
Also, fall camping is a great way to check out your emergency evac equipment. Most campgrounds that are still open have little in the way of services and good rough camping spots are probably empty so, you can check on how self sufficient your set up is. How does your sleeping situation work in chilly night temperatures? Do you have the right equipment and tools to make a 3 day camping trip comfortable and safe? Have you got a way to carry enough water and perishable food?
Other things can be checked out too, such as adequate night time lighting, fire starting tools and tinder, cooking fuel, and clothing/footwear, staying dry in wet weather. In a situation like camping where you can fairly easily get to help if you are not properly equipped or if something goes wrong, it is a perfect way to reassure yourself that your emergency evac supplies are top notch before an emergency happens.
Getting in a few days away from digital devices and the mundane can be the most refreshing and restful thing to do before winter sets in. This coming weekend I'll be out in the woods by a lake with my grand-littles.
A short primer on Off Grid food storage for short and long term: as always, do further reading on these methods.
Shelf stable pre-packaged-
You can buy 1000s of different shelf stable kinds of food, canned, pre-cooked, dried, etc. but for the long term, this is not ideal or even possible. In a SHTF situation, those kinds of food will become unavailable and not be replaced. They are only good for a short term period such as a weather disaster in an otherwise stable country or area.
Shelf stable raw-
The best shelf stable raw food that can be stored properly for many years includes whole grains in their original form such as wheat berries, oat groats, dried beans, white rice, etc. preferably that you can source in your local area so they are as fresh as possible from the start. These foods need further processing and cooking, but are shelf stable in cool, dry, dark conditions. Acquiring air tight (preferably glass) containers while they are available should be done continually.
Root cellar-
Root cellaring fresh garden vegetables is a very good 6 months to one year storage method for food such as carrots, potatoes, beets, turnips, parsnips, cabbage, onions, winter squash, apples etc. A well ventilated, organized root cellar can hold a lot of food and keep it edible for a very long time.
Dehydrate-
The easiest method of preserving food while you still have electricity, or live in hot dry climates is dehydration. Almost any fruit or vegetable and many plants can be successfully dehydrated to keep well for several years if stored air tight, cool and dark. Dehydration is essential for raisins, figs, prunes, pasta, etc. Meat and fish can also be dehydrated to jerky.
Freeze Dried-
The most expensive piece of equipment you might want to get. Food quality and nutrition is excellent for long term storage. Takes lots of electricity, time and maintenance. Not practical in extreme situations for ongoing food storage. Only good to use this method before the SHTF.
Pressure canning and cooking-
The essential way of preserving meat, fish, and cooked vegetables plus other foods such as soups, stews, cooked beans, is by pressure canning. It is the only safe way to can and store these foods in the cooked state. A pressure canner can be used on electricity, gas, and in extreme circumstances, probably wood fires although I haven't tried this. Pressure cooking is a very fast way to cook food that normally takes a long time and a lot of energy to cook.
Fermenting, smoking, salting and pickling-
The oldest method of preserving food is by fermentation or pickling and salting then smoking of meats. Vegetables, dairy, and some fruits can be fermented or pickled then kept at cool room or root cellar temperatures for extended periods. Meat, fish and cheese can be smoked. These methods use a lot of salt or vinegar which could be tricky to attain depending on where you live. The best way is to stock up on a large quantity of salt while it is easily available. Practice making your own vinegar and save the vinegar mothers to reuse. Cultures such as yogourt, cheese and sour dough can be used continually with proper considerations. Now is the time to learn how to use these food products.
Over and over we get these wake up calls to stop doing life the way we have always done it. Stop with the extravagant vacations, flying anywhere we want anytime we think of it, stop the environmental abuse of clear cutting because the government allows it, making too much, doing too much, using too much..
The Burning Man thing is just a tiny subplot in the big picture of where humans started a neat little thing, then let it grow out of all proportion and sense. Cutting a few trees to build your own home then cleat cutting a mountainside to pad your bank account. Using a water source for your community then being compelled to sell millions of litres to bottled water companies to make share holders rich.
A huge city in the middle of the desert lit up all night so it shows from space. It would take days to list all the examples. The point is, it is long past time for humans to pull back and find ways to live with less energy.
We don't need all this huge extravagance to live full and satisfying lives. We need to see our grandchildren thrive. We need nature to flourish. We need hope for the future. This is all within our grasp if we knock off the bullshit. It starts with each one of us to stop waiting for the next guy to live with less and set good examples. And preaching to the choir on here as you all seem to understand and agree. But I guess we need to keep spreading the knowledge, ways and means.
Magazine article:
Four ways to charge your mobility scooter for a walmart run, and one way to get chick-fil-a again when you’ve initiated Jesus’ civil war on the woke demoncrats
During this terrible fire season, I think what scares me most is being woken up in the middle of the night by either a phone alert to evac or a knock on the door as in tactical evacuation.
I know how groggy I am, and how confused I feel if I was in a deep sleep then suddenly woken. The thought of having to do all the things to evac my pets, and myself in that situation is intimidating. So, when there is a strong threat of fire that is within, say 20 kilometres, I do a few things ahead of time:
Write out a detailed list of what to do in what order and tape it to the inside of the door I would be leaving by. (I start the list with "put on glasses" because for sure I would forget until I am driving away)
Put halters on the cats so they are easier to catch. (they are indoor so I can leave them on for a week or two at a time)
Hitch the tent trailer up to the truck and leave it hitched.
Load the truck with the carrier for the chickens with food and water for them.
Have the emergency kits up to date in the vehicles.
Have the evac kit and anything that is necessary close to the door.
Have the roof sprinkler hose attached to the tap.
Leave outside lights on during the most dangerous times.
Make sure you have the correct alert app downloaded onto your phone for your area. Different apps are used for different areas. And you have to register your number to get the alerts. Someone told me today they were getting alerts from a fire much farther away from them than a closer fire in which they were getting no alerts. Sometimes the system screws up but at least be sure you have your info correct.
Keep your vehicles gassed up or charged up, keep all your devices fully charged, and battery packs charged up. Power outages are widespread in fires when lines go down. Sitting in the dark, in thick smoke, not knowing what is going on is terrifying.
Keep updated emergency kits in each vehicle. As the very minimum, make sure you carry a fire extinguisher, 1st aid kit, basic tools, food/water, clothing, and the list of phone numbers in case your phone breaks or goes dead. Borrowing someone's phone only works if you have the numbers to call.
If you are only just going out to grab some stuff from the store, be prepared and take at least a water bottle, your phone and your emerg kit. Anything could cause you to get stuck- a fallen tree on the road, a sudden traffic jam, etc. And don't wait until the last minute to get what you need. When an evac order is called, the roads are suddenly jammed.
Knowledge is power. Don't get bogged down in social media "crazy stories" instead of actual verifiable facts. Keep situational awareness front and centre.
“Telecommunications in multiple NWT communities are severely disrupted due to wildfire activity in the southern NWT. ..."
THIS is why we need to keep pushing for better ham radio emergency communications (equipment, antenna, radio rooms, expense reimbursement, education) within the PREOC centers in every area. Some scary photos coming out of Hay River tonight.
if you stopped masking, now's an excellent time to go back to masking. #covid variant EG.5 is increasing hospitalisations worldwide, vaccines are outdated, and the data on long covid and the effects of multiple reinfection are pretty terrifying. buy a stock of FFP2's while they're still cheap.
hmm this is pretty bad—it seems that most elastomeric respirators are like FFP3's in that they don't filter exhalation, only input. meaning if you're unkowingly contaminated you still endanger people around you.
there will still be some protection from the normal exhalation valve, and it's unclear to me how much worse this would be than a ffp2 with a poorer seal (which is the typical case for ffp2s). I think nobody tried to do research on this.
the 3M 6000s series has an exhale valve filter add-on (the 604), though it's quite expensive—you buy it in 6-packs that are about as costly as the mask itself. even worse: in the USA. here I can only find it as an import. I can't find any equivalent accessory for the newer 7000/80x series either, nor for the local alternative brand, Dräger.