The middle ages will hold few examples or lessons for what will happen today. A thousand years ago, 90% of what people ate was grown within a few miles of where they lived. Even 100 years ago, 90% of what people ate was grown within perhaps 100 miles.
Today, 90% of what people depend on for food was grown many 100s or even thousands of miles away, and it all depends on an elaborate technological ballet to arrive on their table.
This is new in the human experience. Our cities will be death traps two weeks after the power is out. No government power can wave a wand and fix the FUBAR.
When the power goes out, the food stops moving and the cities explode into infernos from coast to coast. That is new in human history. I ask you to provide a comparable example where 90% of billions of people around the globe could starve in one year, after a cascade of grid collapses.
We are in new territory. Electricity has become our oxygen, and our techno-world has become like a moon base under a dome, fed by an artificial atmosphere.
If the power goes down, the “moon base” dies.
Ground control to Major Tom, your circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong.
No mains electricity, no city water, no grocery store.
Sucks for those 90%, I suppose, but they aren't going to let things stay chaotic for long, either.
Me? I learned, being a mountain man, that indoor plumbing is really cool. Flush toilets are to fight for and work hard to maintain, and that people won't put up with a bunch of primitive crap after they've seen the good life.
They will make it work, and put down the despoilers.
Weak men that would normally cringe will stand up like lions when they have to put up with their wives dealing without running water.
Good news. I will probably have HOT running water in the house for the first time in 8 years... sometime in 2015.
/johnny
Apartment dwellers and many in the big cities will suffer just as you have said. However, not so for many of us rural folks.
I only have to walk to my backyard to get my food. I can grow everything we need for a nutritious diet. Anyone who has a little space needs to learn to grow their own food, and have the seeds on hand just in case.
I also know how to preserve food to get through the winter with and with out electricity. As has been said before, skills are important.
,,something’s wrong.
Terribly Wrong!
These threads are the only time I'm glad our one and only grocery store constantly has tons of empty shelves (poor management). Since we can only buy the basics, when they're stocked, it's easier to do without when it does hit the fan. My latest fan hitting/budget friendly project is gathering 2 ingredient recipes. While that might sound minute in the scheme of things, it might be that little something to brighten a dull diet. Out of eggs and oil but have a cake mix? Use a can of coke instead and bake it in a homemade solar oven.
place marker
http://www.theorganicprepper.ca/how-to-stay-warm-with-less-heat-2-12042012
http://readynutrition.com/resources/winter-warmth-when-the-grid-is-down_01112012/