So let's assume that a coronavirus, or avian flu becomes epidemic. Or EMP from a regional nuclear war, or solar origin destroys much of the electronic infrastructure we taje for granted. Or volcanism cools the climate, or we suffer an extreme weather event, or a series of them...
How would you cope? Have you made any plans? And how, realistically, do you rate your chances?
I'll muddle through, it's the British way.
If it's viral contagion there is cock all you can plan for. Humans living so close to each other and speed of transport worldwide, mass public transport systems etc..means that most folks will be infected acting as a disease vector before they even show the first symptoms.
If it's viral contagion there is cock all you can plan for. Humans living so close to each other and speed of transport worldwide, mass public transport systems etc..means that most folks will be infected acting as a disease vector before they even show the first symptoms.
I'll just get a subscription to the Daily Express, they announce a single pill that can cure what-ever-deadly-or-chronic-illness-they-just-looked-up-on-wikipedia pretty much every day. Sorted. When the rest of you all die can I have your bikes?
But the oversupply of property would cause house prices to fall...
What 'scenario' would you expect to happen?
I've read "the road" and I agree with his wife - quick and clean for me
(mind, that's only if my negative equity on the house goes above 20%)
Very low.
Once food/fuel becomes hard to find, laws will become meaningless. Anywhere populated will become rife with break-ins as people get desperate, and anyone that has taken any serious steps such as stocking up on food will become a target, and they will have to be able to protect themselves.
I'll bet very few of us have the ability to feed themselves for any significant time, and none of those would be able to defend the land that is providing the food.
Had this conversation with a mate last week actually. He reckoned pretty good, I reckoned virtually nil but I guess it depends on the scenario.
I mean, 50,000 people dying in a week would provoke mass panic, food stockpiling, shortages of food and fuel, probably near total breakdown of the hospital system (depending on if those 50,000 died of some kind of disease or not). Whereas 50 million people dying in a week would lead to a remarkably peaceful country. 😉
Depends on what infrastrcuture is around - if it's a disease then pretty much everything stays intact. If it's a nuclear attack then pretty much everything is totally annihilated.
I reckon we need more info - go on, create a scenario.
when I was a kid and the Cold War was still very real I used to live close enough to Menwith Hill that I never had to worry about surviving the first Nuclear Wave 😕
Scenario. (if I may start a mini hijack)
How about something simple, and fairly believable. Such as the country simply running out of fuel, lets say due to global unrest/war elsewhere on the planet. So that'll be petrol, diesel, natural gas, heating oil etc. National grid (electricity) falls over big time due to lack of supply.
It catches us out, we think its just a blip as we stock up on baked beans and bread, then suddenly we realise things aren't back to normal, we get hungry, few people bother to go to work, and then after a week or so, news comes that no fuel (or aid) is to be coming into the country for a significant time.
You've already run out of fuel, and there is no reasonable chance of getting out of the country via the usual methods.
You've already run out of fuel
Scenario
Some would argue that we're actually living this now - just on a wider scale..
My log pile is good for 5 years. Lots of rabbits. Sheep too. Good access to running water and miles from any towns.
I'd do ok. I wouldn't even have to eat my neighbours.