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Topic: electricity
August 7, 2008 |
Editors Note: This is Chapter 4 in a reprint of this five-part series, published on Daily Kos and originally published online by AlphaGeek {9.9.05}. From the diaries — Plutonium Page. The series offers a practical way to assess risk and prepare a variety of disaster scenarios. The series will appear chapter by chapter at 3 p.m. through Friday.
In a great many ways, we live safer lives today than our parents and grandparents ever did. Western civilization’s emphasis on science and engineering has driven incredible progress in our understanding of the world. Because our understanding of the world is imperfect, and our social systems fractious and chaotic, we still make mistakes.
The result of this progress, unfortunately, is that much of Western civilization teeters precariously at the top of a technological pyramid. Remove the non-stop infusions of energy and goods, add a little natural or man-made disaster, and that balancing act rapidly devolves into chaos.
In this, the fourth installment of this series, we will discuss the material preparations required to support your emergency plans.
Yes, people, that means it’s time to talk about MREs, radios, and guns. (Actually, guns will be covered in part 5, but you get the idea.)
This is the fourth installment out of five in a multi-part series on personal disaster preparedness. Your humble correspondent is a Silicon Valley technical executive with both professional and personal experience in risk assessment and disaster-readiness planning. «Read the rest of this article»
Sections: Education, News, Opinion | No Comments
August 5, 2008 |
Editors Note: This is Chapter 2 in a reprint of this five-part series, published on Daily Kos and originally published online by AlphaGeek {9.9.05}. From the diaries — Plutonium Page. The series offers a practical way to assess risk and prepare a variety of disaster scenarios. The series will appear chapter by chapter at 3 p.m. through Friday.
Chance favors the prepared mind. – Louis Pasteur
In any given disaster situation, you will find a group of people who maximize their chances for survival by making the correct choices before, during, and after the crisis. These folks have a few things in common:
- Each of them personally decided that he/she was going to survive
- They accurately assessed their immediate and near-term risks and needs
- They made the best plan they could based on available resources
- They executed that plan in a flexible, adaptive manner
- They kept going until they had reached safety, and did not give up
The single most important thing you can do to survive a disaster is to be mentally prepared.
Being prepared for disaster does not have to be time-consuming or expensive. In this multi-part series of DailyKos Diaries, I will share with you, dear reader, many of the lessons I’ve learned regarding the most effective ways to prepare for an emergency.
This is the second installment in a multi-part series on personal disaster preparedness. Your humble correspondent is a Silicon Valley technical executive with both professional and personal experience in risk assessment and disaster-readiness planning. «Read the rest of this article»
Sections: Business, Education, Opinion | No Comments
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