4 ms·

I think the proper way to prep is not individually but communally. See if your local government has any disaster preparation programs and get involved with thos

I think the proper way to prep is not individually but communally. See if your local government has any disaster preparation programs and get involved with those. YouTube videos are mostly for driving ad revenue and selling you garbage after making you anxious and don't solve the underlying problem of fragile global supply chains and supply shocks. The main thing currently that no one seems concerned about is the reduction of grain production from Russia and Ukraine because of the war. This is going to have a global impact and will increase food scarcity that a 3 month individual supply can not do anything about.

throwaway6532 4y ago
>The main thing currently that no one seems concerned about is the reduction of grain production from Russia and Ukraine because of the war. This is going to have a global impact and will increase food scarcity that a 3 month individual supply can not do anything about. This is the main thing that has gotten me worried. In 2010 there was a heatwave in Russia that affected the wheat harvest and in 2011 we had the Arab spring. There are an increasingly large number of failed states or states that are on the verge of tipping into that in that region of the world too. Lebanon's grain storage capacity was reduced to a month's supply after the Beirut explosion. Water tables are very stressed in Morocco which supplies the majority of the worlds rock phosphate which is the critical input into phosphate fertilizers which massively boost agricultural productivity beyond normal means. When you dig down into it it's clear the world is in a "food bubble" supported by over-pumping of water from aquifers, hydrocarbons, globalization. The ripple effect the economics are going to have will be pretty far reaching.
- simplicialset 4y ago
  Then you understand that an individual can not fix these problems on their own which is why I recommended joining folks in your local vicinity that are similarly concerned about these issues and then seeing what can be done at the local level to mitigate them collectively instead of individually.
  - throwaway6532 4y ago
    Yes, I'm very much with you on that.
ryandrake 4y ago
One thing the pandemic taught me was that when the disaster comes, it's going to be your local community that turns on you first. Given the mask hoarding/reselling, toilet paper hoarding, gasoline hoarding, store price gouging and general antisocial behavior that we saw during 2020, I have no doubt that it would be a mistake to rely on altruistic, cooperative, community action. When I lived in Florida, after every hurricane, you'd see dozens of guys driving around with 4 brand new generators in the back of their pickup trucks, looking to sell them to desperate homeowners for 10X their cost. For every one person who participates in a helpful community disaster preparation program, there are 20 who will instead look for ways to profit from a disaster and screw everyone else.
- xwdv 4y ago
  In a true apocalyptic scenario where life won’t go back to normal we’ll force bullets into those guys and steal their generators while they dry heave blood on the ground.
  - throwaway0a5e 4y ago
    Careful what you wish for. The average techie is a lot less prepared for rule of law to go out the window than the kind of people you're deriding are.
    - xwdv 4y ago
      Techies are far more valuable in the post apocalyptic world than you think. When the initial bloodshed subsides, people will want rudimentary communication apps and networks to get back to the old days. Only techies can build to those standards.
      - Ancapistani 4y ago
        In many cases “techies” and “those guys” are the same people.
  - throwaway6532 4y ago
ipaddr 4y ago
Expecting government help instead of taking responsibility is not the proper way. If you are able to take care of yourself you take a strain off whatever limited resources are left to help those who can't help themselves. Be a resource not a drain.
- simplicialset 4y ago
  By getting involved in the government and helping prepare for disasters is the very definition of taking responsibility for yourself and being a resource for those around you.
- sp332 4y ago
  Ensuring government help for others instead of only looking out for yourself is still helpful.

throwaway6532 4y ago

>The main thing currently that no one seems concerned about is the reduction of grain production from Russia and Ukraine because of the war. This is going to have a global impact and will increase food scarcity that a 3 month individual supply can not do anything about. This is the main thing that has gotten me worried. In 2010 there was a heatwave in Russia that affected the wheat harvest and in 2011 we had the Arab spring. There are an increasingly large number of failed states or states that are on the verge of tipping into that in that region of the world too. Lebanon's grain storage capacity was reduced to a month's supply after the Beirut explosion. Water tables are very stressed in Morocco which supplies the majority of the worlds rock phosphate which is the critical input into phosphate fertilizers which massively boost agricultural productivity beyond normal means. When you dig down into it it's clear the world is in a "food bubble" supported by over-pumping of water from aquifers, hydrocarbons, globalization. The ripple effect the economics are going to have will be pretty far reaching.

simplicialset 4y ago
Then you understand that an individual can not fix these problems on their own which is why I recommended joining folks in your local vicinity that are similarly concerned about these issues and then seeing what can be done at the local level to mitigate them collectively instead of individually.
- throwaway6532 4y ago
  Yes, I'm very much with you on that.

ryandrake 4y ago

One thing the pandemic taught me was that when the disaster comes, it's going to be your local community that turns on you first. Given the mask hoarding/reselling, toilet paper hoarding, gasoline hoarding, store price gouging and general antisocial behavior that we saw during 2020, I have no doubt that it would be a mistake to rely on altruistic, cooperative, community action. When I lived in Florida, after every hurricane, you'd see dozens of guys driving around with 4 brand new generators in the back of their pickup trucks, looking to sell them to desperate homeowners for 10X their cost. For every one person who participates in a helpful community disaster preparation program, there are 20 who will instead look for ways to profit from a disaster and screw everyone else.

xwdv 4y ago
In a true apocalyptic scenario where life won’t go back to normal we’ll force bullets into those guys and steal their generators while they dry heave blood on the ground.
- throwaway0a5e 4y ago
  Careful what you wish for. The average techie is a lot less prepared for rule of law to go out the window than the kind of people you're deriding are.
  - xwdv 4y ago
    Techies are far more valuable in the post apocalyptic world than you think. When the initial bloodshed subsides, people will want rudimentary communication apps and networks to get back to the old days. Only techies can build to those standards.
    - Ancapistani 4y ago
      In many cases “techies” and “those guys” are the same people.
- throwaway6532 4y ago

ipaddr 4y ago

Expecting government help instead of taking responsibility is not the proper way. If you are able to take care of yourself you take a strain off whatever limited resources are left to help those who can't help themselves. Be a resource not a drain.

simplicialset 4y ago
By getting involved in the government and helping prepare for disasters is the very definition of taking responsibility for yourself and being a resource for those around you.
sp332 4y ago
Ensuring government help for others instead of only looking out for yourself is still helpful.