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Part 4 of wake-up calls, insurance and having a plan

This is the final post in a four-part series started in March on resiliency and emergency planning. Part 1 covered waking up to our vulnerabilities; Part 2 explored responding versus reacting; Part 3, sobering up, covered a few, very basic food and water storage strategies.

In this post, Part 4, the focus is on resources for learning more and opportunities for connecting with others doing the same work.

If you have time, doing your own emergency planning and research will uncover a host of resources to help tailor a plan that’s most suited to your unique situation. A variety of books, blogs and websites offer plenty of information but sifting through them can take time, energy and patience. At the outset if you would rather cut-to-the-chase, here are few resources to serve as a portal.

• Get a Kit – FEMA’s emergency planning guide & check lists
• www.72hours.org – The City of San Francisco’s very comprehensive emergency planning guide
• A Simple Plan -- A post by my dear friend and blogger, Christine Patton, a.k.a. Peak Oil Hausfrau, on short and long-term planning. Plenty of additional info on her blog, about everything from backyard gardening to cooking with a solar oven. She’s one of the most prepared people I know.
• “Surviving the Apocalypse in the Suburbs: The Thrivalist’s Guide to Life Without Oil” by Wendy Brown. Personable, down-to-earth, easy to read, full of useful info and resources and mostly geared to longer-term planning.
• “Just in Case: How to be Self-Sufficient When the Unexpected Happens,” by Kathy Harrison, another book with a practical, down-to-earth approach.
• “The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It: The Complete Back-to-Basics Guide,” by John Seymour. Although geared toward longer term self-reliant living for those on small farms, it may seem like this book doesn’t have much to offer urban dwellers. Guess again -- this book offers a compendium of how-tos on a range of subjects, from soap-making to composting and is full of beautiful illustrations and graphics. A great resource for the home library and even if you never do any of these things – fun to read and browse.

Organizations providing a portal for actually meeting other people doing the same things, working on the same issues, providing ways and means of sharing knowledge and building community:

• Transition OKC (TOKC) –  a local Oklahoma City group working on these types of issues, sharing info, and networking (I volunteer with this group). TOKC offers an ongoing slate of free or low-cost workshops, films, presentations and events focused on helping people and communities in OKC become more prepared and resilient in the face of climate change, peak oil and economic instability. We like to have fun while we’re doing this work. We collaborate and partner with other groups, businesses, and organizations, serve as a catalyst and connector, and we organize practical projects, often with an emphasis on localization, a strategy that a growing number of leaders around the world believe will help offset many of the challenges we face. We eat a lot of potluck meals together (a lot). We are part of the vibrant Transition movement, which has more than 300 initiatives around the world. My friend and fellow Transitioner, Christine Patton and I started TOKC in Jan. 2009; it’s a program of Sustainable OKC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
• Oklahoma Sustainability Network -- a statewide nonprofit networking resource with a wonderful listserv and multiple chapters involved in an array of sustainable endeavors.
• Transition US – a nonprofit organization that provides inspiration, encouragement, support, networking and training for Transition initiatives in the U.S. There are now 90 Transition initiatives across the U.S. -- take a look at the map on their website and seen if there’s one near you, or if you’re interested in starting one in your community, school, or town, they can help.
• Transition Network -- the international hub for the Transition movement. You can sort through Transition initiatives from all over the world here and browse loads of ideas and resources.

More books. If you’re into reading, dive into this big fat list of recommended books. Every book on this list is part of our personal library, guiding our family as we work on our own resiliency planning.

Again this is just a starting place. You may have a whole different set of resources you’ve found that work for you (good on you if you do) and if you’re up for sharing, please feel free to do so. What websites, books, blogs do you recommend for resiliency and emergency preparedness planning?

Technorati Tags: awareness,books,change,climate change,community,emergency planning,home,hope,peak oil,partnerships,resilience,sustainability,transition okc,transition movement

Sobering up

Part 3 of Wake-up calls, insurance and having a plan

Here’s a sobering fact: Grocery stores in general seldom have more than a three-day supply of food.

Add to that this little gem: According to the “Kerr Center Centennial Report: Closer to Home: Healthier Food, Farms, and Families in Oklahoma,” Oklahoma imports a large number of basic food items from out-of-state; 90–100 percent for many things that are backbones of a nutritious pantry. Example: We import 100 percent of the lettuce we eat, 99 percent of onions, 98.2 percent of the tomatoes we consume. More detail on Oklahoma’s import/export situation here.

Southern California's Imperial Valley produces about 80 percent of the nation's winter vegetables, and according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the whole state produces nearly half of U.S.-grown fruits, nuts and vegetables.

Most of the food we eat is shipped an average of 1,500 miles or more due to globalization. The aggregate share of of food imported from outside the U.S. in 2005 was 15 percent based on volume. Needless to say, the globalized food system we now have makes us vulnerable to all kinds of crises elsewhere in the nation and world.

More sobering. Households in general seldom have more than a one-week supply of food. We tend to think the stores will always be open and fully stocked with just what we need, just in time. Katrina and now Japan show us that just isn’t so.

Another scenario: Oil spikes to $120, $150 or $200 a barrel. Since much of what’s at the grocery store is shipped from around the nation and world, prices tend to escalate quickly. During the 2008 oil price spike, the price of some food items increased by as much as 125 percent in less than year, and the dramatic increase in food prices in 2011 has been much in the news lately. This kind of food inflation can eat a significant hole in your overall household budget.

If you’ve got a resiliency plan and/or emergency planning in place (I think the two go hand-in-hand), you’re much less likely to be vulnerable to these kinds of events. Having a food strategy seems useful. Key points:

• Think of your home as a grocery store and stock it accordingly.
• To get an idea of how much food you need, keep track of what you eat for a week and multiply that by the number of weeks of supplies you want to have on hand.
• Buying in bulk usually means a lower price point.
• Stock what you and your family will eat and what will provide good nutrition. Layton notes there’s nothing wrong with buying dehydrated food stuff, but if you don’t eat that kind of food routinely, eventually you’ll throw it out and that money and food just goes to waste. 
• To make the cost of creating your home grocery store affordable, spread acquisitioning out over several weeks.
• Pay attention to expiration dates. Use older items first and rotate in newer items.
• If all of this feels overwhelming, work on a two-week supply first and then build from there (if you want).
• When you use an item, immediately put it on your grocery list to replenish and maintain your supply.
• Learn how to can, freeze and preserve food yourself.

A significant and overarching way to help yourself and your community is to support the growth of, and transition to, a more localized food system. We will probably always import coffee here in Oklahoma, but there are a wide range of food items that can be grown here that are currently imported from California and elsewhere. Having a vegetable garden, shopping at farmers markets, local food cooperatives, buying directly from farmers, ranchers and local producers, are also good strategies for increasing not only your household food security, but of that of our community.  

And a word or two about water. It’s what we need most for survival. You can survive without food for at least 72 hours. You can’t live long without water.

Two ways to start an emergency water supply:

• Take empty juice or soda bottles (use only food-grade plastic or glass), rinse thoroughly, fill with water, and store away from sunlight. General rule of thumb – plan for one gallon of water per person per day.
• For a longer term water supply consider a rain tank and capture water from your roof. You’ll need to purify it but there are some simple ways to do so (see basic steps of food and water storage below). A rain tank also provides water for your garden and lawn and you’ll save money on the water bill, all at the same time.
• Don’t forget to include your pets and livestock in your planning.

You’ll find a brief synopsis of the basic steps for food and water storage here (taken for the most part from Layton’s book with a bit of personal commentary and info from yours truly). Disclaimer: Please note this is a very rudimentary introduction food and water storage and is not, by any means, comprehensive. It’s primarily a few notes I took in reading Layton’s book and doing a little research and decided to share in hopes it might be useful.

Coming in part 4, learning more and growing community.

Technorati Tags: agriculture,awareness,change,community,fear,food security,food and drink,hope,local food,localization,transition,water,emergency planning

Holy sh*t moments

Part 2 of wake-up calls, insurance and having a plan

My initial reaction to wake-up calls, such as those I detailed in part one, tends to be fear. I may not look exactly like this woman but this photo represents how I feel during such “holy sh*t” moments.

I think taking a moment to identify what you’re feeling helps, otherwise there’s a tendency to go all hysterical and just react, sometimes stupidly, rather than respond. Been there. Done that. Not particularly useful.

There is a reason we have first “responders” rather than first “reactors.”

When confronted with news or information that’s scary, alarming, or downright heart-in-your-throat, I’ve learned to take a few deep breaths before doing anything. Okay maybe more than a few deep breaths – maybe more like several deep breaths -- and maybe a glass of wine -- and a walk around the block to work off the anxiety.

Bottom line: Try to be calm, meditate if you’re so inclined. Fear is not a good companion for work that needs clear thinking and thoughtfulness. Being calm helps.

Being prepared for short-term or longer volatility is a practical, and in many ways, traditional means of living in a world that’s always been filled with uncertainty. At one time for instance, people lived by the seasons, preserving and storing spring, summer and fall food for the winter, a time when food would be much less plentiful. It wasn’t doomsday-ish to do so – it was simply matter of course. Emergency and resiliency planning simply puts this kind of thinking to work.

Insurance for uncertain times

I like to think of preparedness planning as insurance (and I thank author Peggy Layton for introducing me to that concept). Just as you carry insurance for your business, house, car or health, having a plan insures you’ll be prepared for short or long-term contingencies. Some practical reasons to do so:

• Self-sufficiency – Whether unexpected unemployment, economic crisis, drought, crop failure, personal tragedy, civil unrest, natural disaster, when you’re even moderately prepared, you’re better situated to weather the storm. 
• Ability to help others – Helping yourself is helping others. Whether from across the world, the country, or state, if family, friends or strangers in crisis need assistance, the more prepared you are, the more likely it is you’ll be able to offer meaningful help to others.
• Peace of mind – If you’re prepared, then you’re less likely to be fearful, more likely to be able to enjoy life and be hopeful and at peace when/if the storms of life come your way. (Sounds like a commercial for Allstate – now all I need is Dennis Haysbert for the voice over).
• And the photo of that hand. What can I say – I was desperate for an illustration.

Over the past few years my family has collected several books on emergency preparedness and self-sufficiency. One of them -- a small book I purchased a few years ago -- “Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Family Safe in a Crisis,” by the aforementioned Peggy Layton, provides a very basic framework for emergency planning and beyond -- moving onward to resiliency planning. If you’re looking for a simple way to ease yourself into this kind of planning, Layton divides the process up into categories so you can break what might seem overwhelming into smaller bites.

More about planning and some resources for getting started in my next post, “Wake-up calls, insurance and having a plan | part 3.”

Technorati Tags: Awareness,change,emergency planning,fear,hope,resilience,transition

Wake-up calls, insurance and having a plan | part 1

My family is by no means prepared for every disaster the world can throw at us, but wake-up calls over the past few years have been more than enough to convince us that a bit of planning for volatile and uncertain times is useful.

My top six wake-up calls to date: Hurricane Katrina (2005), Oklahoma ice storm (2007), global oil price spike (2008), global economic crisis (2008), global oil price spike (2011), and Japanese earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster (2011). The 2011 events are continuing to unfold as we speak and the following articles from this week illustrate just how fast life can change for even the most sophisticated of cultures.

• From the Washington Post: “Torn up and terrified by a disaster that keeps on getting worse, Japan has transformed in just four days from one of the world’s most comfortable countries into one of its most distressed.”
• The Washington Post reported that relief efforts are only meeting about 10 percent of survivors’ needs.
• Photo after photo of empty grocery store shelves in Japan sent in by readers to the New York Times graphically illustrates the precarious nature of our just-in-time food system.
• Bloomberg reported the most highly sought after items are candles, flashlights, surgical masks and duct tape
• And in Sunday’s New York Times, “The Limits of Safeguards and Human Foresight,” Jon Schwartz notes the general personal unpreparedness of U.S. citizenry for uncertain times, “ … in most of the country, simple plans that include having a quick-grab case of supplies, medications and important family papers, as well as a plan for reuniting family members who have been separated in a disaster, are distressingly rare, Dr. Redlener said.”

This past Sunday Transition US sent out a tweet with a link to our government’s recommendations for basic emergency preparedness. It’s a good place to start, but I also advocate thinking about emergency preparedness as a means of laying the groundwork for overall household resiliency planning. (BTW - resiliency is the capacity of a system to absorb disturbance and reorganize while undergoing change, so as to still retain essentially the same function, structure, identity and feedbacks.)

Next steps in “Wake-up calls, insurance and having a plan | part 2,” coming soon.

Technorati Tags: Awareness,change,fear,resilience,transition,emergency planning