Survive USA! has a new mission. Click on the link below to read the revised goal:
http://www.breakthematrix.com/content/Survival

I invite you to ponder the following...
**What survival steps have you taken in case of an emergency or a catastrophe (Long-term, Big Picture)?
**What about in everyday life (Short-term)?
**As a Patriot, what challenges are you facing in everyday life to remain well, healthy and happy?
**What have you found that works for you?
**If a solution is not evident, I invite you to post the issue for the forum to offer up possible solutions.

As a solutions-oriented site, we attempt to turn the negative into a positive.

I look forward to your posts.

Peace through Preparation,

Wind_Dancer

Check out how people in Australia view the topic of survival
http://www.aussurvivalist.com/

Their list of Doomsday prophesies:
http://www.aussurvivalist.com/prophecies.htm

All of this came to us via hippie BusGreg's site: http://www.busgreg.info/

Off Grid Domestead
This is a page on BusGreg's double solar domestead. http://www.senecass.com/rob/domes/

Composting Toilet Reviews
This is a great site that reviews composting toilets. If you've ever considered a composting toilet, this site has everything you need. http://www.terrylove.com/crtoilet.htm

Home Power Magazine
This is a magazine dedicated to off the grid living, and alternate power technologies.
http://www.homepower.com/

Real Goods
Real Goods is another good company to find tools for renewable energy and sustainable living.
http://www.realgoods.com/

Steve Robert's Micro Ship project
Nomadic Research Labs is a small enterprise devoted to the pursuit of nomadness. NRL was created by Steven K. Roberts. He's been a technomad for the past 11 years, wandering 17,000 miles around the U.S. on various versions of a computerized recumbent bicycle known as BEHEMOTH (formerly the Winnebiko) Now he's working on a microship. http://www.microship.com/

Alternate Fuels List
http://www.welcomehome.org/backcountry/fuel.names.txt

Running a schoolbus on Veggie Fuel ( a great site to explore. BusGreg converted an old bus into a hippie-mobile! Visit his other links on his website too!)
http://tiptopwebsite.com/websites/index2.php?username=busgreg&page=5

This may be something you don't want to think about. But with the recent "execution" of CIA Agent Roland Carnaby on April 29th by our own police department here in Houston, this is something that needs to be addressed.

Agent Carnaby was chasing down a suitcase nuke which had set off radiation detectors around town.

What matters even more is that the main-stream media stopped reporting on the story the day after the murder. Roland Carnaby was buried on Monday, May 5, 2008. There was no reporting of the funeral by any national media.
http://genedios.livejournal.com/3427.html

So please take the time to click on the link below and read about:

WHAT TO DO IF A NUCLEAR DISASTER IS IMMINENT!
http://www.ki4u.com/guide.htm
by: Shane Connor

Please forward it on/vote on it so it will be seen by all.

I wrote to the author to see if he's done similar research on what to do during a pandemic outbreak. It's all part of the plan for being prepared for any event.

Peace through Preparation,

Wind_Dancer
Houston TX

Obtanium: a mysterious substance that when rubbed on a material makes it very cheap or free; Very useful for Self Sufficiency.

Physical properties: Invisible, odorless, soft with a mohrs hardness of 0. It doesn't melt or freeze. It more closely resembles a gas but cannot be compressed and is still present in a vacuum. It has an atomic number of infinity with a mass of 0. It can only be detected when one walks away from a negotiation with a desired material object(s) for little or no cost.
Hazards: Completely safe for the user as long as they negotiate with integrity.
Environmental: Environmentally desirable as it reduces junk and clutter to useful objects. The only true hazard is the accumulation of obtanium faster that it can be reduced to useful items, in which case it reverts to junk and clutter. (personal experience).
Storage: It doesn't store well because under conditions of forgetfulness and neglect it reverts to junk and clutter. It should be used as soon as possible.
Disposal: Obtanium should be disposed of as soon as practical. The preferred method of disposal is the reduction into useful objects. Alternate disposal methods consist of converting to somebody else's obtanium, recycling or the county landfill.
Fire Hazard: Possibly if the properties of the materials that obtanium is used on are not given thorough consideration. Please refer to the MSDS sheets for the materials in question. In and of itself obtanium is not flammable, combustible, explosive, corrosive, poisonous, oxidizing, a solvent or any other known hazard other than those listed herein.

Obtanium is one of the most useful substances the self reliant person can use.

Uses of obtanium: The uses are virtually limited only by the imagination of the user. I personally use it to provide materials for projects associated with solar power, wind power, hydrogen power, bio-fuels, building construction, fences, agriculture, building equipment, computers, communications, food storage, animal husbandry, aqua culture, shelter, survival, land development, furnishings, etc., etc., Etc.

Here are two links to examples of recently acquired Obtanium:

For The Texas_Self_ Sufficiency Yahoo group: http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/Texas_Self_Sufficiency/photos/browse/32...

For the TW_Sanctuary Yahoo group:
http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/TW-Sanctuary/photos/browse/15ba

For all others: Join the Texas_Self_Sufficiency group, after a thorough vetting you may be allowed to join the TW_Sanctuary project.

The Windstalker
AKA: The Energy Renegade

--
Stan Norred
281-782-9744
windstalker@windstalker.com
Chairman Galveston County
Libertarian Party
AND
Texas State Libertarian Executive Committee
District 11 Rep.

"It's freedom for everyone or freedom for no one."
The Windstalker

Having been born and raised in the country, I think I have a little different perspective than most people. The number one thing a person should invest in, in my opinion, is learning everything they can about making, keeping and controlling fire. Knowledge is your very best investment.

Take some time and spend it in the wilderness simply paying attention to details. The more you can feel at home in the wild, the better off you'll be and you can't get that out of a book, from watching videos, or even from personal instructors (no offense to personal instructors). I can't tell you how many people I've met that didn't even know the difference between Polk and Poison Ivy, the difference between the sounds of an Amadillo foraging for grubs and a deer just walking through the woods or what a copperhead smells like. Experience is the only thing that can teach you those things.

And, for heaven's sake, go buy the best knife you can afford and learn how to use it as a tool not just a weapon.

If I was limited to only one thing I could add to that it would be a roll of "Spider Wire" fishing line.

God bless,
Nick

Quotable quote:
"Sell your cleverness and purchase bewilderment"~?

100 Items To Disappear First In A Panic

#1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy.. target of thieves; maintenance, etc.)
#2. Water Filters/Purifiers (Shipping delays increasing.)
#3. Portable Toilets (Increasing in price every twomonths.)
#4. Seasoned Firewood (About $100 per cord; wood takes 6 - 12 mos. to become dried, for home uses.)
#5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
#6. Coleman Fuel (URGENT $2.69-$3.99/gal. Impossible to stockpile too much.)
#7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots
#8. Hand-Can openers & hand egg beaters, whisks (Life savers!)
#9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugars
#10. Rice - Beans - Wheat (White rice is now $12.95 - 50# bag. Sam's Club, stock depleted often.)
#11. Vegetable oil (for cooking) (Without it food burns/must be boiled, etc.)
#12. Charcoal & Lighter fluid (Will become scarce suddenly.)
#13. Water containers (Urgent Item to obtain. An size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY)
#14. Mini Heater head (Propane) (Without this item, propane won't heat a room.)
#15. Grain Grinder (Non-electric)
#16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur by September, 1999.)
#17. Michael Hyatt's Y2K Survival Guide (BEST single y2k handbook for sound advice/tips.)
#18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
#19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula/ointments/aspirin, etc
#20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
#21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
#22. Vitamins (Critical, due 10 Y2K-forced daily canned food diets.)
#23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item.)
#24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products
#25. Thermal underwear (Tops and bottoms)
#26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets & Wedges (also, honing oil)
#27. Aluminum foil Reg. & Hvy. Duty (Great Cooking & Barter item)
#28. Gasoline containers (Plastic or Metal)
#29. Garbage bags (Impossible to have too many.)
#30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, paper towels
#31. Milk - Powdered & Condensed (Shake liquid every 3 to 4 months.)
#32. Garden seeds (Non-hybrid) (A MUST)
#33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
#34. Coleman's Pump Repair Kit: 1(800) 835-3278
#35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
#36. Fire extinguishers (or.. large box of Baking soda in every room...)
#37. First aid kits
#38. Batteries (all sizes... buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
#39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
#40. BIG DOGS (and plenty of dog food)
#41. Flour, yeast & salt
#42. Matches (3 box/$1 .44 at WalMart: "Strike Anywhere" preferred. Boxed, wooden matches will go first.)
#43. Writing paper/pads/pencils/solar calculators
#44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime)
#45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
#46. Flashlights/LIGIITSTICKS & torches, "No. 76 Dietz" Lanterns
#47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (Jot down ideas, feelings, experiences: Historic times!)
#48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water transporting - if with wheels)
#49. Men's Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
#50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
#51. Fishing supplies/tools
#52. Mosquito coils/repellent sprays/creams
#53. Duct tape
#54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
#55. Candles
#56. Laundry detergent (Liquid)
#57. Backpacks & Duffle bags
#58. Garden tools & supplies
#59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
#60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
#61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
#62. Canning supplies (Jars/lids/wax)
#63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
#64. Bicycles... Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc.
#65. Sleeping bags & blankets/pillows/mats
#66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
#67. Board Games Cards, Dice
#68. d-Con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
#69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
#70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks...)
#71. Baby Wipes, diapers, tampons, oils, waterless & Anti-bacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
#72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
#73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
#74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
#75. Soysauce, vinegar, boullions/gravy/soup base
#76. Reading glasses
#77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
#78. "Survival-in-a-Can"
#79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
#80. BSA - New 1998 - Boy Scout Handbook (also, Leader's Catalog)
#81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
#82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky
#83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
#84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
#85. Lumber (all types)
#86. Wagons & carts (for transport to & from open Flea markets)
#87. Cots & Inflatable mattresses (for extra guests)
#88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
#89. Lantern Hangers
#90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws, nuts & bolts
#91. Teas
#92. Coffee
#93. Cigarettes
#94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc.)
#95. Paraffin wax
#96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
#97. Chewing gum/candies
#98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
#99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
#100. Goats/chickens

By Joseph Almond 5-21-06 (Feel free to add comments to update this list. Vote it up so everyone will see it)

OK, I couldn't wait for the 100 mile mark to roll around on the odometer's trip meter, so I filled it back up at 61 miles and it took about 1.5 gallons. That works out to about 40.6 miles per gallon IN TOWN! (It was only rated for 26 mpg in town when it was brand new!

Now, you have to understand a couple of things; This is an old 1988 Chevy Nova with about 300,000 miles on it (that's right 300K) that I gave away about 5 years ago for free to a friend in need. A couple of weeks ago, the person I gave it to told me they were going to take it to the junk yard, but it was still running and if I wanted it back to come and get it (ungrateful bastard couldn't even bring it back to me). So, I did (Just to test my hydrogen generator design out). Also, not only did I never get it out of third gear for those 61 miles, it spent a good deal of time just sitting in my driveway being started, allowed to idle for a while, turned back off and restarted again while I was tinkering with it.

I didn't bother to see what kind of gas mileage it was actually getting before I installed the HH-O boosters, but it couldn't have been as good as it was rated to get when it was brand new.

I'll perform some more testing over the next couple of weeks

I'm blown away! That is better than a 50% increase in fuel efficiency above the factory ratings.

I am going to be driving it on a 150 mile, round trip, highway excursion next week. I'll let you know how that works out and I promise that I'll get a lot more picky about my scientific methodology.

God bless,
Nick

Quotable quote:
"Sell your cleverness and purchase bewilderment"~?

Here is the new yahoo group to work with this subject.
It's only been live for ONE DAY and we already have 16 members!

This is the organizational page for Texas_Self_Sufficiency workshops.
We are a hands-on group promoting and educating for self sufficiency.
This is a collaborative effort, none of us are experts while most of us have some experience. Feel free to do research and post to our Links, Files and Photo's pages. We welcome suggestions for the workshops also.

Occasionally someone may offer to sell or otherwise provide materials and equipment and as long as it is on subject thats fine. We don't want a lot of spam however.

Come join the fun.......
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Texas_Self_Sufficiency/

Group Information
* Members: 16
* Category: Texas
* Founded: May 10, 2008

"It's freedom for everyone or freedom for no one."
The Windstalker

I just finished designing, building and installing my first Hydroxy gas genrator on one of my cars. It's a two cell system and producing a lot of gas. I'll report back on my fuel savings after I've driven 100 miles or so (if I haven't blown myself to kingdom come by then).

God bless,
Nick

Quotable quote:
"Sell your cleverness and purchase bewilderment"~?

I feel like I too need a wind name in this forum. I think Wind Passer should be my new "Green" name. It's catchy AND appropriate. It automatically causes everyone to think of wind generators...doesn't it? Much better than Wind Pisser which was my first thought.

When I was younger, I may have chosen Wind Surfer or Wind Chaser or, maybe, just Cool Breeze. Now that I'm older and wiser I deserve a much more realistic wind name for people to write songs about and legends to grow around.

God bless,
Nick

Quotable quote:
"Sell your cleverness and purchase bewilderment"~?

Just click on the link and enter you zip code

http://autos.msn.com/everyday/GasStations.aspx?m=1&l=1&zip=77023&x=16&y=...

Wind_Dancer

Wake someone up today.

The Energy Renegade fights back.

A $300 investment that may well save me $600 or more a year.

Let me explain.

I live in a rural setting where cable is unavailable, the phone lines are junk, and water, sewer and natural gas are not available. I had to build a mile of road just to access my property and build a house. This has made me become more self reliant out of necessity. I had a well drilled, use cell phones, use satellite for both television and internet, installed a septic system, and use propane instead of natural gas.

Well this Tuesday I had to fill the propane tank. It's a 500gal tank and the nature of propane dictates that 20% head space is left empty for a vapor space. Well the tank was essentially empty so we called for $300 worth of propane to be delivered. Traditionally that would give us ~6 months propane, about 35% tank level. We customarily had propane delivered 2-3 times a year. So we averaged ~ 70-80% a tank of propane a year, about 380gal. at ~$700/year.

Well this time the delivery only filled 20% of the tank and in the small part of the radius or about 60gal or $5/gal. Ok so I did some rough math and 380gal x $5 = $1900/year in propane at the current price and usage. OUCH!!!

This just HAS to Stop!

There isn't much I can do about usage. We still have to cook, shower, wash clothes and dishes and dry said clothes. Looking at the usage I see that the most significant portion of the propane is used merely to heat water.

That I can change.

We live on the Texas Coast. It's pretty much warm and sunny here all year. Whenever I water the garden I have to let the water run until it cools. Water straight from the hose lying in the sun will scald you.

What I am doing is building a solar water heater/preheater.

For a $300 dollar investment I purchased 1 sheet of 1/2" treated plywood, 1 sheet of 1" thick 4'x8' foam insulation aluminized 1 side, 2 - 8' sheets of clear corrugated plastic panel, 2 sticks of 3/4" cpvc pipe, 30 sticks of 1/2" cpvc pipe, and enough street ell's, ell's and other assorted fittings to put this all together. I already have flat black high temp paint, 2x6's for the frame, an idle 500gal well tank and materials for a supporting structure. I also have a camera to document how all this will go together.

I will start construction in the next few days and keep you posted on the progress. I'm considering starting another yahoo group just to document where the adventures in alternate energy take us. Let me know if you want to be invited to join.

If this all works out there will be about $600/year that can be invested in more alternate energy infrastructure which will free up even more funds for more infrastructure.

Ya' never know what you can accomplish once you get off the couch.

--
Stan Norred
281-782-9744
windstalker@windstalker.com
Chairman Galveston County Libertarian Party
AND
Texas State Libertarian Executive Committee
District 11 Rep.

"It's freedom for everyone or freedom for no one."
The Windstalker

I agree great topic!
It would be cool to see a separate page on this site that covers self sufficiency/survival etc. with different links, books and other info someone moderates so you wouldn't have to browse through several pages.
You should always support your local farmers too.

http://www.localharvest.org/

Rise in U.S. honey bee deaths

'Astonishing' 36.1 percent of hives lost due to disease, pesticides, enemies

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24500059/

Gee, could this possibly have anything to do with crop shortages?

Wind_Dancer
Houston TX

"Truth is treason in an empire of lies." ~~From Revolution, a Manifesto by Dr. Ron Paul

This message sanitized by request of the author.
Stan

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Fw: ARMY GEARING UP FOR SOMETHING...SERIOUS
Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 16:33:15 -0600
From: Bob xxxxxx
Reply-To: XXXTR@yahoogroups.com
To: XXXX-XXXX

I expect it'll hit like a thief in the night and almost no one will be prepared outside of the chain of command. BUY FOOD! NOW!

Best regards,.
Bob xxxxx
The xxxx Ranch
xxxx, Wyoming
(307) xxx-xxxx

ATT everyone! This info came from a person that has always been reliable and I would trust them with my life! Please heed!! Keep this to yourself and give only to the ones you trust! Sanitize this e-mail before forwarding!!

ANYTIME--- ANYWHERE--- AND BY ALL MEANS NECESSARY!!

Subject: ARMY GEARING UP FOR SOMETHING
Importance: High

Army Gearing up for SOMETHING?

This afternoon, I received a call from my niece in Texas. Her husband is in the service. They live near the base in an area where many other families in the service live. Yesterday, she received a visit from some kind of army personnel, as well as many of her girlfriends who also have husbands serving. From what I understand, this is what took place. She was given several locations as well as dates and times to show up for "commodities", as well as a location on base they were required to show up today. She said the area on base they were told to go to, she was familiar with, only this time, there were large tents set up, one of which they were told to go to. She told me her fears were she would be told her husband was going to be sent overseas, however this wasn't the case. She said they were told that they would be taken care of, and to begin to stock up on non perishables. They were given a voucher for what she stated were "large sacks" of beans, rice and other "non perishables". Also informed that generators would be provided. Times and dates to pick up these commodities. They were also handed out some kind of contract that the "spouses" of personal were required to sign. It stated they were not at liberty to share this information with civilians. Her and several others when asking about what is going on, they were told the Army takes care of their own. This took place in Texas. Anyone with any info please post.

"It's freedom for everyone or freedom for no one."
The Windstalker

Do You Need to Stock Up the Bunker?

survivalists can also browse among a growing number of how-to books with titles like “Dare to Prepare!” a self-published work by Holly Drennan Deyo

May 2, 5008
By Brendan O'Neill

In the 1950s and 1960s, bunkers were a feature of many American suburban homes, populated by families fearful of the prospect of nuclear war. That threat has subsided, but now many reasonable people are stocking up on essential supplies in preparation for a new cataclysm.

When you hear the word "survivalist", what image comes to mind?

Photo: Britain is not without the threat of natural disasters

Perhaps you think of a gun-toting loner in Mid-West America, who lives in a shack surrounded by tinned food and emergency water supplies.

Or maybe you think of end-of-the-world religionists retreating to a fortified camp with enough food and drink to last them until Judgement Day.

But today there is a new breed of survivalist – and they're well-heeled, well-educated and more likely to wear an immaculately pressed suit than a camouflage flak jacket.

CIVILISATION BREAKDOWN

Barton M Biggs is about as far as you can get from the old John Rambo-style survivalist. Forget long, unkempt hair and a sweat-stained vest. Mr Biggs is a former chief global strategist for Morgan Stanley, who now runs the hedge fund Traxis Partners in New York.

Yet in his latest book, Wealth, War and Wisdom, he suggests that all right-minded people should "assume the possibility of a breakdown of the civilised infrastructure".

Photo: Many bunkers were decommissioned after the Cold War

"The four horsemen of the apocalypse ride out every two generations, and they come in different disguises," he says. "We are due to see the horsemen again some time in the next 10 to 20 years – and the prudent person with wealth should take out an insurance policy against them."

The four horsemen in this instance could be any one of a plethora of threats.

It's not been in the news for a while but there are scientists who believe that bird flu could shift so it could pass from human to human, resulting in a global pandemic that could kill 50 million people.

But there are threats that seem more immediate. The price of food is rising dramatically and oil is at record prices. Even brief periods of crisis can have severe consequences.

BLACKOUT LOOTING

Mr Biggs cites the massive power outages that struck north-eastern and mid-western America and parts of Canada in 2003 – also known as The Northeastern Blackout – when for a few hours an estimated 50 million people were without electricity.

The outage led to massive problems with water supply as pumps were starved of electrical power. Many forms of transportation came to a standstill - electricity-driven trams and trains stopped working, and small airports had to shut down because they could no longer carry out effective passenger screening.

The outage is estimated to have caused financial losses of $6bn. Looting episodes were reported in Ottawa, Ontario and Brooklyn.

"That was a fairly brief blackout," says Mr Biggs. "Imagine if the next outage lasted for four or five days... there would be a mass exodus from cities."

The impact of a bird flu pandemic would be even worse, he says. It would put a "huge strain" on national health systems and leave a gaping hole in the economy as great numbers of people became too sick to work.

Then of course there are natural disasters, something that the US is more used to than the UK, which is largely immune from the more serious earthquakes and hurricanes.

OIL SHORTAGE

And yet last year's floods in Gloucestershire left 140,000 homes without running water for nearly two weeks.

A major global economic crisis or a dramatic oil shortage are also on Biggs's mind.

If you want to make it through the breakdown, he says, you should build a "safe haven" which is "self-sufficient and capable of growing some kind of food".

Photo: A wide variety of tinned food is recommended

Well-off people are advised by Biggs to invest 5% of their income into creating a safe haven, which should be "well-stocked with seed, fertiliser, canned food, medicine, clothes, etc". He labels this plan "sensible" rather than "survivalist".

In a world in which people and systems are increasingly "interconnected", the potential for infrastructure to collapse is great, he says. Political disturbances in Kenya, drought in Australia or crop disease in South America can quickly affect food prices in the UK. And globally, everything from modern mass agriculture to transport and industry is dependent on the availability of oil.

"I'm just suggesting," says Mr Biggs, "that if you can afford it you should invest in a bolthole. A farm, perhaps, where you could live for a month and survive."

"I am talking Swiss Family Robinson," he says, referring to the famous 1812 novel about a Swiss family that survives after being shipwrecked in the East Indies. "You should have food, water, medicine, clothes. And possibly AK47s to fire over the heads of any guys, depending on how bad things become."

New survivalists do not look like Rambo

The safe haven should be set up so that you can live it in comfortably for one month, he says. "Given the kind of crises I am talking about, a month should be enough for people and systems to recover."

Biggs is not alone. New self-help books with titles such as Dare to Prepare! and When All Hell Breaks Loose advise readers on how to survive system breakdowns.

Alex Steffen, a journalist and editor based in Seattle, is one of those "daring to prepare" for a coming "tiny apocalypse".

"The systems we rely on are brittle and facing strain," he says. "Here in Seattle we are vulnerable to earthquakes and I also live near a big volcano. Climate change is causing more extreme weather events. There could be a global bird flu outbreak or some other pandemic."

For these reasons, Steffen and his girlfriend have stocked six weeks' worth of food in their basement and have invested in a water-purifying kit. "We are taking precautions," he says, referring to himself as an "urban liberal survivalist".

PEAK EVERYTHING

Lloyd Alter, a Toronto-based sustainable architect and writer for the green website Treehugger.com, has a "little cabin in the woods" where he can retreat if need be.

He believes the world could be rattled by a variety of crises. "There is the problem of peak oil, peak gas, peak food, peak corn, peak everything," he says.

In some green discussion circles, those concerned about "peak" problems – that is, the potential for the production of things such as oil and food to peak and then to start declining – are now referred to as "Peakniks".

WATER

But there are plenty of experts who are dismissive of the Peakniks, particularly the fear that peak oil has already been reached. They point out that new oil reserves are being discovered frequently. For example, at the end of last year, the Brazilian government announced the existence of a brand new offshore field that could provide eight billion barrels of oil.

Photo: What would happen if bottled water stockpiles ran out?

Frank Furedi, the British-based author of The Culture of Fear, says people should calm down.

For all the talk of a global bird flu pandemic, in the past five years there have been 200 human deaths from bird flu. In the same period more than six million people have died from diarrhoeal diseases and more than five million in road accidents – these would seem to be more pressing, practical problems to solve.

"What's interesting about the 'new survivalism' is that its focus is everything," says Prof Furedi.

"Unlike previous alarmist responses to a crisis which focused on one main threat – for example, nuclear war – today's survivalism is driven by an unbounded imagination of anxiety."

"The new survivalism can also be seen as a highly ritualised affectation," says Prof Furedi. "Through self-imposed restraint and expressions of concern for the future of humanity, the individual sends out signals about his own responsible behaviour.

"The affectation of survivalism is one of the most interesting features of our 'culture of fear' today."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7379741.stm

"It's freedom for everyone or freedom for no one."
The Windstalker

I feel sorry for the big city dwellers that don't see it coming and wouldn't know how to prepare if they did. A storm's brewin' and I'm afraid that for some of them, their only perceived resolution to the predicament they are going to find themselves in will be riots and looting.

God bless,
Nick

Quotable quote:
"Sell your cleverness and purchase bewilderment"~?