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Rono
DSYSB since '01
Registered: 01/25/01
Posts: 16,259
Loc: Calgary, Alberta
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could you survive?
#5221016 - 01/25/06 08:49 AM (18 years, 1 month ago) |
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Imagine for a moment that the power went out...this very instant, and now imagine that it won't be coming on again...ever. No electricity means no gas at the pumps...in effect you are now back in the stone age.
To put it in perspective...before the discovery of fossil fuels, the Earth could only sustain roughly about 2 billion people....since the use of fossil fuels, the Earths population has exploded exponentially. Now take fossil fuel out of the equation...no oil/gas means no electricity, no plastic, no transportation, no industrial production whatsoever, no fresh water unless you live within walking distance of drinkable water......in other words, you are now left to survive the rest of your days with whatever you have right now.
Could you do it?
-------------------- "Life has never been weird enough for my liking"
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery
Registered: 03/15/05
Posts: 95,368
Loc: underbelly
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Re: could you survive? [Re: Rono]
#5221064 - 01/25/06 09:19 AM (18 years, 1 month ago) |
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Having taken high desert survival training, I might have a shot at it. I do keep very good quality survival gear around. Still my training taught me the odds. They are never that good and for someone without training, almost nil.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Rono
DSYSB since '01
Registered: 01/25/01
Posts: 16,259
Loc: Calgary, Alberta
Last seen: 1 year, 19 days
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Re: could you survive? [Re: Icelander]
#5221086 - 01/25/06 09:30 AM (18 years, 1 month ago) |
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I've also taken survival training and have no false illusions about my chance of survival in such a situation. I do have some property that has an underground freshwater spring, so water would be available year round...the hardest part would be getting to the property since it is about 5 hours north of my current location.
In my opinion staying in a large city would equal almost certain death
-------------------- "Life has never been weird enough for my liking"
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Corporal Kielbasa
Registered: 05/29/04
Posts: 17,235
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Re: could you survive? [Re: Rono]
#5221113 - 01/25/06 09:37 AM (18 years, 1 month ago) |
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I don't wanna sound facetious, but yes i could! I haven't been practicing primitive skills for the past 6 years for nothing.
Weather its making a still to make ethanol, or forging my own blades on a home made forge, to skinning and tanning animals. To snaring animals, to picking wild grains and fruits and vegetables, and salad greens. To tracking animals making weapons. To making shelters, starting fires, purifying water. To making baskets and clay pots, to growing my own vegetables.
All these will aid I'm my survival. The biggest part of it though is a will to survive and not flipping out.
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery
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Posts: 95,368
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Re: could you survive? [Re: Rono]
#5221117 - 01/25/06 09:38 AM (18 years, 1 month ago) |
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Here is a little secret I am willing to share. I live along a small stream. Very few people in my town are aware that you can survive off the insects under the rocks in this stream. They are fat (oil) and protein laden.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery
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You are right. Fighting fear is the no. 1 challenge in survival.
And cool I have many of the same skills as you. I studied Paiute Indian desert survival. I love making arrows traps and snares.
I do have one major hindrance now to my survival. I am getting old. I don't have the young strong fighting body I had in my youth. I am still in very good shape for my age, but the energy levels are down. I have done plenty of living and no longer worry about dying.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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psyka
Praetorian
Registered: 06/09/03
Posts: 1,652
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Re: could you survive? [Re: Rono]
#5221132 - 01/25/06 09:44 AM (18 years, 1 month ago) |
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It'd be like Dawn of the Dead!
I think the biggest threat will be your neighbors. The number 1 thing to do on my list, would be to get away from people ASAP. When the shit settles, attempt to reach out towards fellow survivors and go tribal.
Energy would still be available, just not in liquid form. Hopefully, technological progress will not be halted, only regressed to a snail's pace.
I'm optimistic humans would survive such an outcome. But, I'm also optimistic this scenario is going to happen, perhaps sooner than expected.
-------------------- As the life of a candle, my wick will burn out. But, the fire of my mind shall beam into infinite.
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Rono
DSYSB since '01
Registered: 01/25/01
Posts: 16,259
Loc: Calgary, Alberta
Last seen: 1 year, 19 days
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Re: could you survive? [Re: psyka]
#5221153 - 01/25/06 09:52 AM (18 years, 1 month ago) |
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"But, I'm also optimistic this scenario is going to happen, perhaps sooner than expected"
I have no doubt that this will be happening in our lifetime...I'm not a fatalist, or some hillbilly survivalist...just a realist.
-------------------- "Life has never been weird enough for my liking"
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery
Registered: 03/15/05
Posts: 95,368
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Re: could you survive? [Re: Rono]
#5221186 - 01/25/06 10:04 AM (18 years, 1 month ago) |
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Were I a young man, some part of me would be looking forward to it. Now I have dependants who aren't into that kind of preparedness. We would most likely die together, which is fine.
I will spend some part of this summer on a walkabout in the desert. I will be sort of taking a last look around and saying some goodbyes to my old life. I miss the high desert and have not been there in a couple of years. Maybe I will leave some of the many arrow points I have made for some future explorer to find.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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TameMe
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Re: could you survive? [Re: Rono]
#5221193 - 01/25/06 10:06 AM (18 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Rono said: Imagine for a moment that the power went out...this very instant, and now imagine that it won't be coming on again...ever. No electricity means no gas at the pumps...in effect you are now back in the stone age.
To put it in perspective...before the discovery of fossil fuels, the Earth could only sustain roughly about 2 billion people....since the use of fossil fuels, the Earths population has exploded exponentially. Now take fossil fuel out of the equation...no oil/gas means no electricity, no plastic, no transportation, no industrial production whatsoever, no fresh water unless you live within walking distance of drinkable water......in other words, you are now left to survive the rest of your days with whatever you have right now.
Could you do it?
hey dude... there was plumbing before electicity..
and the ability to make fire (and sanatize water) was around before electricity.
finding enough food would be hard...you could live off of bugs and fish for awhile...but there's not enough game around to sustain many lives for a long time. but maybe there would be enough game to hold over until crops are growing again.
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vegitative
Stranger
Registered: 01/21/06
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Re: could you survive? [Re: Icelander]
#5221197 - 01/25/06 10:08 AM (18 years, 1 month ago) |
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Sometimes it really feels like people need a shock like this to realize that we can't keep on consuming the way we are. A global scale temporary loss of all power might help bump people back into reality.
The downside though would be that most likely, all the nuclear power plants would melt down and all the radioactive wastes we have would end up destroying their containers and falling out all over the world and everybody would die of nuclear poisoning pretty fast.
I doubt we would survive a global power failure.
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Corporal Kielbasa
Registered: 05/29/04
Posts: 17,235
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Re: could you survive? [Re: Icelander]
#5221203 - 01/25/06 10:09 AM (18 years, 1 month ago) |
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Flint napper ay? I made a couple in my time. One i am real proud of!!! I neat some more chert or jasper or obsidian or flint.......
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery
Registered: 03/15/05
Posts: 95,368
Loc: underbelly
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I live in obsidian country. It's so easy to come by and of course it's so easy to work with.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Rono
DSYSB since '01
Registered: 01/25/01
Posts: 16,259
Loc: Calgary, Alberta
Last seen: 1 year, 19 days
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Re: could you survive? [Re: TameMe]
#5221216 - 01/25/06 10:15 AM (18 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
TameMe said: hey dude... there was plumbing before electicity..
and the ability to make fire (and sanatize water) was around before electricity.
Agreed...there was. But do you personally have the means to recreate that plumbing on your own without power?
-------------------- "Life has never been weird enough for my liking"
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Corporal Kielbasa
Registered: 05/29/04
Posts: 17,235
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Re: could you survive? [Re: Icelander]
#5221217 - 01/25/06 10:15 AM (18 years, 1 month ago) |
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You know what!!!! In one more week i too will be in Obsidian country. Jasper country also... Gonna go up to the rock yard up around crater lake.
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery
Registered: 03/15/05
Posts: 95,368
Loc: underbelly
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Re: could you survive? [Re: TameMe]
#5221218 - 01/25/06 10:15 AM (18 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
TameMe said:
Quote:
Rono said: Imagine for a moment that the power went out...this very instant, and now imagine that it won't be coming on again...ever. No electricity means no gas at the pumps...in effect you are now back in the stone age.
To put it in perspective...before the discovery of fossil fuels, the Earth could only sustain roughly about 2 billion people....since the use of fossil fuels, the Earths population has exploded exponentially. Now take fossil fuel out of the equation...no oil/gas means no electricity, no plastic, no transportation, no industrial production whatsoever, no fresh water unless you live within walking distance of drinkable water......in other words, you are now left to survive the rest of your days with whatever you have right now.
Could you do it?
hey dude... there was plumbing before electicity..
and the ability to make fire (and sanatize water) was around before electricity.
finding enough food would be hard...you could live off of bugs and fish for awhile...but there's not enough game around to sustain many lives for a long time. but maybe there would be enough game to hold over until crops are growing again.
The most trained and skillful and resourceful will find the game and get it. The die off of humans would be pretty fast. You need a safe place to let that happen. I think warfare would be rampant and so farming would be risky for a few years. Hunter gathering would be most feasible for a couple of years until the emotions settled down and the numbers and competition dropped. Just pray that it comes down in the spring instead of the fall.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Corporal Kielbasa
Registered: 05/29/04
Posts: 17,235
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Re: could you survive? [Re: Icelander]
#5221239 - 01/25/06 10:24 AM (18 years, 1 month ago) |
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I think states make guns illegal for much more then the reasons of crime on the streets. Maybe the government is looking toward the uncertain future. With certain types of stratgies. Like my state would defnetly mostly die off. Do to the fact people are unarmed and uneducated.
Guns are a nessecary evil when it comes to survival. Not always needed, but much apreciated.
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery
Registered: 03/15/05
Posts: 95,368
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For aquiring meat. A gun is very valuable. Not many are good with traps and snares, but for one who is they can really provide at times.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Corporal Kielbasa
Registered: 05/29/04
Posts: 17,235
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Re: could you survive? [Re: Icelander]
#5221279 - 01/25/06 10:42 AM (18 years, 1 month ago) |
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True.... My town is big on trapping. I got to be carefull when i let my dog run in the woods.
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery
Registered: 03/15/05
Posts: 95,368
Loc: underbelly
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I have a moral objection to most trapping. It's a survival skill and deadfalls are my choice. The animal never knows what hit him.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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