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November 21, 2008 at 07:50:30
Promoted to Headline (H3) on 11/21/08: by Kathryn Smith Page 1 of 5 page(s) |
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Dear friends: Since canning up a storm to stock our cupboards this year, and buying a few staples in bulk, I have to say that I have a cozy feeling about it. It’s sort of like having money in the bank: “Phew, if anything goes wrong, we will not be hurt. We will be okay” is my feeling. And I want to see all my family members, friends, and our collective community prepared in the same way. Just how do we survive an economic crash? I don’t know, not having “been there”. But having read a lot, and brainstormed a lot, and using links (below) which were posted to a previous article I wrote, here is a compilation of ideas which I hope will prove useful. 
With concerns about the economy posted all over the web, and with some people fearing a total economic collapse (ie, depression and not recession), it is wise to be prepared. “Act, don’t react to situations” is a phrase I once heard. I have always remembered those words of wisdom. And while, in my own experience, the things we fear *almost* never come to pass, it’s still wise to cover the bases.
First of all, one blogger who survived the Katrina affair wrote about crime in his local neighborhood thereafter. In order to prevent such crime, I suggest that education is the key. What are our survival options? If we distribute leaflets, ask others to photocopy them and send them around, and write our local newspaper editors, perhaps we can prevent such wrongs from occurring. In fact, we can even spawn sharing and proactivity. Feel free to use any and all ideas below, without quoting me as author, because this information is communal property and does not belong to me! Certainly I hope global survival is a communal issue! Please distribute this information, far and wide! I only ask that nobody make any money off the ideas here. Not even one cent. Please spread the word of hope, free of charge! Thank you. (And feel free to pass these ideas on to journalists, who may print some or all of them in order to help the community).
The links below are good for cooking, gardening et al. Below that, I will write ideas about how to get food in our community, with resources going above and beyond what we might ordinarily think of. There may be lots more out there than we think!
Here are website instructions in multiple languages (Catalan, French, Russian, English, Spanish, you name it) for how to make your own solar oven out of cardboard boxes, with or without glass tops: http://www.solarcooking.org/plans/
Here are two links posted by blogger Pixie for making cooking stoves out of cat food tins:
Here is an excellent website with many tips and links for surviving an economic crash:
www.survivingthemiddleclasscrash.wordpress.com/ Includes links for how to build your own solar home heating system, building your own solar generator for about $300, converting your car to run on hydrogen, gardening, soap-making at home, a few herbal articles written by me (I am a certified herbalist), etc.Here is where you can buy a solar crockpot/oven for about $350: www.kensolar.com plus solar generator for about $1600, plus many other solar gadgets for sale at only 10% above wholesale cost.
Blogger Camanokat writes: “Check out this site...it's an urban garden on about 1/4 of an acre in Pasadena CA. They grow between 50% to 90% of their own organic food (depending on season):"
Blogger Christopher Wright wrote about a communal power coop in his neighborhood. Wowee! I didn’t even know such a thing existed. Brilliant! Let’s organize now to start up local wind energy farms, and become as self-sufficient as we can!
Lacking such resources and funds, here is a site where funding can be acquired, with grantors donating in every category, both nationally and internationally, in the four-digit or seven-digit categories alike: www.fdncenter.org (FYI I personally have applied for four and been granted three out of those four grants, based on donors listed in this website. It’s for real, not a pipedream).Christopher Wright also wrote about salvaging hand tools and repairing them. No doubt we all prefer our powered gadgets as convenience items, but given a financial crash we could, if necessary, go back to hand-harvesting and hand-rototilling the land. Not a bad idea to start salvaging dumped garden tools and bringing them up to snuff. Or, buy them new at your local gardening center.
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| 5 comments |
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Is this another Y2K
Some interesting ideas but maybe a bit premature. My winter garden is in the ground but that is beacuse the food taste better. One thing I learned after many years at sea----"he who panics is in deep s---t. Be prepared but no panic. I was in Asia with Y2K and most of my Asian friends thought it was crazy-----------------it was. by virginius "gin" arnold (18 articles, 7 quicklinks, 47 diaries, 516 comments [22 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Nov 21, 2008 at 11:54:38 AM  (0+)
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Reply: I agree with you, Gin!
Gin, thank you for saying that. I agree with you and that's why I posted my qualifier at the beginning and end of the article. I wrote it because so many people have been worried. So if people are worried, we might as well provide resources and tips. That's my thinking. Thanks for your optimism and please pass it around! It' s needed right now. Best wishes, KS by Kathryn Smith (110 articles, 2 quicklinks, 43 diaries, 542 comments [23 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Nov 21, 2008 at 12:07:47 PM (0+)
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Reply: Prudence
You are confusing prudence and panic. Those with a level head who prepare for SHTF situations before they arise are precisely the ones who will not be panicking during difficult times. By definition you can't prepare after the crisis is upon you. Prepare for eventualities while the resources are available, then you will be prepared to help some of those who panic when the SHTF. How do we know it is prudent to prepare? Because civilizations are known to fail, it is not wise to rely on the luxuries of good times to last. Unpreparedness leads to panic after the SHTF and the resources to cope are no longer available. Thanks for a an excellent resource Kathryn, you are the kind of resource I'd like to have around in bad times. by all owners (1 articles, 58 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 144 comments) on Friday, Nov 21, 2008 at 2:39:14 PM (0+)
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my guess is that
there is less time than we think.... but, regardless, it always always pays to be prepared. 'Cause ya can't after the SHTF ... as was sagely noted by the poster above. by richard (0 articles, 5 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 1359 comments [400 recommended, 8 rejected]) on Friday, Nov 21, 2008 at 8:51:42 PM (0+)
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Best tool is knowledge of history
Economics history in this case. When people rejoice at lower gas prices, I see danger signs when a barrel of gas falls 50% so quickly. Peoples of the world are hurting. Gist: A depression is NOT a big recession. When trade/credit and employment/confidence slow to a crawl, people are hungry and sometimes they turn on each other. If usual commercial activity is slight, the best way is to use barter among friends and family. Conditions have been bad for many Americans for years. They would be worse without this underground economy. Housecleaning, babysitting, and yardwork will increasingly be performed on a trade-of-help basis. Bad for tax revenue, but that's what entrenched poverty does. Politicians think in terms in helping the middle class, but they would be better advised to help low-income people rise up from outside the established system. by Margaret Bassett (45 articles, 2909 quicklinks, 42 diaries, 1851 comments [99 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Nov 21, 2008 at 9:46:18 PM (0+)
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