Survivalist gear to ecosystems in upheaval....

Survivalist gear on the cheap: clever use of pill bottles.  And straws.

King Richard III’s medieval inn recreated by archaeologists

Sir Gwaine and the Green Knight.

Looking for someone ... anyone to blame for the Sandy Hook school shooting.. anything but guns... Must be because of women.

Scientists: Mealworms could replace beef, chicken as Earth’s source of protein

Report: Ecosystems in Upheaval, Biodiversity in Collapse

New study documenting climate change shows sweeping changes happening faster than previously recorded and bringing 'cascading effects'

Just in case...

Because the Bush administration will make sure

Nobody will be there to help you. Compassionate Conservatism is where you pretend not to hear the cries of those in need. (Via Kevin Hayden of American Street):

Citizen Preparedness

When the Water Goes Out

There are very few disasters which will cause water to be out for more than a day or two (unless you are on well/pump) but they constitute a genuine emergency: people can survive on short rations for quite a while, but water is a non negotiable.

Every household should stockpile one gallon/person/day for at least three days. When that supply is exhausted, here is how you can make a safe water supply even if your civic supply has become unsafe due to storms or flooding:

Three Ways to Treat Water
In addition to having a bad odor and taste, contaminated water can contain microorganisms that cause diseases such as dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis. You should treat all water of uncertain purity before using it for drinking, food preparation or hygiene.

There are many ways to treat water. None is perfect. Often the best solution is a combination of methods.

Two easy treatment methods are outlined below. These measures will kill most microbes but will not remove other contaminants such as heavy metals, salts and most other chemicals. Before treating, let any suspended particles settle to the bottom, or strain them through layers of paper towel or clean cloth.

Boiling: Boiling is the safest method of treating water. Bring water to a rolling boil for 3-5 minutes, keeping in mind that some water will evaporate. Let the water cool before drinking.

Boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers. This will also improve the taste of stored water.

Disinfection: You can use household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms. Use only regular household liquid bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, colorsafe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners.

Add 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not have a slight bleach odor, repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes.

The only agent used to treat water should be household liquid bleach. Other chemicals, such as iodine or water treatment products sold in camping or surplus stores that do not contain 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite as the only active ingredient, are not recommended and should not be used.

While the two methods described above will kill most microbes in water, distillation will remove microbes that resist these methods, and heavy metals, salts and most other chemicals.

Distillation: Distillation involves boiling water and then collecting the vapor that condenses back to water. The condensed vapor will not include salt and other impurities. To distill, fill a pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot's lid so that the cup will hang right-side-up when the lid is upside-down (make sure the cup is not dangling into the water) and boil the water for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.

Having a cooking heat supply which is not dependent on the local utilities is a very good idea. If you do not have a propane grill or live in an apartment, a small camping burner is a worthwhile possession. Do not use them in an enclosed space, you will need to have at least a window open if you do not have a balcony.

The kinds of food you can put by for times of trouble are listed here.

Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, war, terrorist attacks

Incompetent governments... are you prepared?

Via JJ of Unrepentant Old Hippie, information on 'going off the grid' by Nancy Castleman:

The average person needs a gallon or two of water a day, at least 2 quarts for drinking and 2 for food preparation and sanitation. Assuming you'd like to be prepared for at least one week off the grid, and yours is a four-person family, that's 28 to 56 gallons.

In theory, between our deep well and our generator, Marc and I don't need a separate water supply. Still, I always feel better about having some extra drinking water on hand, and when a power failure looms, we fill the tub. (Being able to flush makes off-the-grid living a lot more tolerable!)

Even if you have city water, something could happen that would leave you high and dry. So build up a water reserve and/or consider other water sources. For example, we can get water directly from our water tank. Maybe you can, too.

Important: Experts say that when you store tap water for drinking in a container, you should purify it. For detailed instructions, go to: www.fema.gov/library/emfdwtr.htm.

[snip]

The pantry's always pretty full around here, and we could certainly survive quite nicely for a few weeks if the supermarket was closed, its shelves bare, and/or the road to town impassable. But we're always happy to stock up when the items we regularly use are on sale.

Do it too, and take advantage of an unbelievably powerful investment opportunity, while you prepare for emergencies. For example, if you buy extra cans of tuna on sale at 50 cents apiece, and the price goes up to $1.00, you've netted a 100% yield on these "supermarket stocks." Buy bottled water at 3 gallons for a buck, instead of $1.00 each, and get an immediate, guaranteed, incredibly high return of 200%.

Focus on canned goods and dried fruit that can be stored without refrigeration and eaten without cooking. Don't go for warehouse-sized cans, unless your family can eat the contents in one sitting. Without refrigeration, food can go bad quickly. And if you don't have a hand-crank can opener, pick one up.

These days, Marc and I make sure we've got a generous supply of the medicines that we take, and we've asked our doctor for back-up prescriptions, in case the info stored in the pharmacy's computer is lost or unavailable when we need it.

Don't forget to keep a supply of the items you buy at the health food store, any paper goods that you regularly use, and include some comfort foods, too. You'll all be happier campers if you've got some special treats squirreled away.

Don't Forget Fido! Consider what your pets will need, and put that amount of food aside, with additional water for each dog and cat. In case you're wondering, the rule of thumb is 30 ml of water per pound of pet, which translates to 2 1/2 cups for a 20 pound pooch.