Climate Breakdown: Preparedness versus “Prepping”

What can you do about Climate Change TODAY? (III)

You don’t need all of this junk in your “bug out bag”

Read Part II

These are notes/a place to collect info and resources, not meant as a final product.

• Isn’t a lot of this climate breakdown preparation covered in “survivalism/prepper” literature? Yes, and no, but mostly no.
• So-called “preppers” are amusing, but most are unclear on exactly what they’re preparing for. Religious apocalypse? Government shut-down? Civil war? LARPing? Civil war reenactment? As such, “prepper-ism” is a hodge-podge of random approaches and expensive gear.
• The “Prepper movement” is also a billion dollar industry, whereas most of the most important ways to prepare for climate breakdown cost little to no money.
• This also applies to the modern cult of self-sufficiency/“urban homesteading.” All of the “innovative” ways to save the planet (farms in shipping containers! Vertical gardens! Aquaponics systems!) tend to funnel dollars into the pockets of some pretty wealthy individuals.
• There is no such thing as “self-sufficiency.” Even a hermit in a cave depends upon local plants and insects and animals. Even that awesome cabin guy in Alaska that they show all the time on PBS needed the occasional air-drop.
• Prepperism and “self-sufficiency” can end up becoming a waste of resources. You might end up spending time, money, and headspace on “gear,” and learning methods that may not be the most efficient given your situation. Neither are they totally useless as concepts, however, but they need to be informed.
• The Climate Breakdown Impact Assessment is important, because it will allow you to judge a) what resources are sufficient for your needs and b) whether your issues will be acute or chronic. Wasting time/resources/headspace is a bad idea. Do you need a “bug out bag?” What if it’s a way better idea to stay in place?
• Your most important resource during the Climate Breakdown will likely be staying on good terms with other people, and a willingness to help one another.