This is my last post before I head off on my ten-day minimal-internet tidalpunk adventure (expect pics when I return!) so I thought I’d make a nice long list-type thing for all you solarpunks before I go.
Now, this might not seem very cheerful compared to my other topics - certainly all the people I’ve brought this up with irl have acted like I’m being alarmist and depressing, but I don’t see it that way. I view it as being prepared and maximising your ability to keep yourself and your community safe, which is after all what solarpunk is all about!
So without further ado, here is my *extremely idealised* suggestion for an emergency kit list to help you cope with increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather events. The goal is that with the supplies in this bag you could either shelter safely in place or get up and go, and be well supplied in either case to care for yourself and share with those in need. In fact, in both scenarios you would hopefully be able to temporarily ‘start from scratch’ in terms of infrastructure should the frameworks of society around you no longer be reliable. I based mine off suggestions by climate scientist Kendra Pierre-Louis (you can check out her advice on the ‘Unnatural Disasters’ episode of the How To Save A Planet Podcast), but yours might look subtly different depending on who you are, what you can afford/carry, and where you live.
Emergency kit list:
-Big hiking rucksack, to keep everything in
-Sleeping bag
-A small portable tent and camping stove
-A penknife or multi tool
-Matches or a lighter
-Kindling or firestarters - I use wood wool balls held together with wax
-Torch (with up to date batteries!)
-Towels
-Non-perishable or long-life foods, such as protein bars, rice cakes/breadsticks/crackers, dried fruit, bagged nuts/seeds, crisps, tinned soup, pot noodles
-A seedbomb of edible plants (you can get some for slightly excessive prices here in the UK, otherwise they can be made fairly easily by combining clay, straw, paper or flour with the desired seeds)
-Two large water bottles (600-650ml) and a water bladder
-A water purifier (preferably one capable of filtering out both natural pathogens like bacteria and viruses and synthetic pollutants like heavy metals and PFAS)
-A collapsible bucket
-A first aid kit, including plasters, bandages, sterile wipes, hand sanitiser, latex gloves, antiseptic/disinfectant, (K)N95 masks to filter out particulates (whether ash or pathogens), painkillers, antihistamines, rehydration sachets, anti-emetics and anti-diarrhoeals, steroid creams, aloe vera gel, iodine tablets in case of radiation, and any medication you regularly take (including epipens and inhalers if needed)
-A pair of goggles to protect your eyes from air pollution such as smog, wildfire smoke, etc
-Toothpaste tablets and a spare toothbrush
-Period supplies (pack these even if you don’t get periods - someone you run into might need them)
-A solar charger
-A satellite phone
-A mechanical handheld fan, with working batteries, to keep you cool in extreme heat
-A magnetic heat belt for extra warmth
-A change of clothes, including a sun hat, a scarf, woolly hat and gloves for extreme cold, and waterproofs (plus an umbrella!) for wet conditions
-Pliers or secateurs for cutting through dense debris or vegetation
-Some strong, climbing-grade rope
-A trowel (for planting and digging up but also for burying…waste 😅 - a long-term wild camping scenario isn’t infeasible here)
-Your passport and any other documents (marriage certificate, adoption papers, savings bonds if you’re like a hundred years old) that you might need if fleeing your country becomes a necessity
-As much cash as you are comfortable withdrawing/leaving lying around your house/carrying with you in an emergency
-A personal locator beacon is a radio-transmitter that signals your location to emergency services via satellite. These tend to have a 24-hour battery life, so if you foresee being in any way ‘stranded’ for longer then a useful trick is to switch it on for one hour each day, and then turn it off again. This not only saves power but shows emergency services that there is conscious intention involved, proving you’re still alive and lucid
-Some things to keep your spirits up, like a chocolate bar and your favourite/funniest book
-It’s worth having a sturdy pair of hiking boots for if you have to pick up the bag and go
Obviously this list is super extra, a bunch of these things are prohibitively expensive, and some items would need periodic replacement if a long time passed without the necessity of using the emergency kit. You could also likely build a fairly functional emergency kit with only a fraction of these supplies, I’m just trying to anticipate every eventuality here.
It’s up to you whether you think the investment is worth it - it’s a big outlay for a possible zero return. Personally I think it’s at least somewhat worth it as extreme weather is only going to happen more often and have more serious consequences, and preparedness turns what could be a disaster into an inconvenience, often saving money in the long run. But it will depend on the relative likelihood of severe weather events in your local area. It’s also worth saying that these work for ostensibly non-climate related problems, from a power cut in your town to an authoritarian coup in your government to your house falling down! It isn’t just for wildfires or tornadoes.
Over the next few months I’m hoping to slowly build up the aspects of the kit that are affordable and accessible to me, with the aim of being able to keep myself safe and aid my neighbours should disaster strike.
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How did I not know that Dick was in at least a 3rd story in the Dark Multiverse (Dark Nights Metal where Duke is a Monitor) ? I read Batman Hush and the Teen Titans one but I didn't even see anybody talk about that one. I'll be honest I didn't read it yet, just skimmed through it but he seems cool. Like, he's one of the last heroes left on Earth, he had a badass axe/guitar made from power rings that can create constructs and project energy and sound waves and stuff. And he ends the one-shot as a dragon slayer ?? Why didn't anybody talk about this one ?
Ah yes, Dragon Slayer Dick 🐉 🎸.
Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Dark Nights Metal #1
From what I remember, people were more focused on Dick and Wally getting maimed in the Teen Titans issue. Not sure anyone cared as much about Dick from Earth 0. They should've though because there were some good moments between him and Duke.
Dick: Would you look at that? The Hawks did it. We're down to the World's Finest.
Duke: I know you mean Clark and Bruce, but I gotta say...
Dick: Yeah, I know. We made a pretty good band, you and I... but it's time for my solo.
And then Dick just fucking died after taking out Kryptothrax. Now that was metal 🤘.
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ORION HOW HAVE YOU BEEN I’VE MISSED YOU WHILE ALSO SIMULTANEOUSLY BEING MIA AS WELL LOL
sweet baby kendra, hello!! 🧡
i’m doing well! lots of life changes recently but they’ve all been good (: i’ve missed you!!
how are you? how is everything? i hope life and everyone in it has been treating you kindly!! 🧡
omg honestly the way i forget tumblr exists and then as soon as i develop a new hyperfixation i’m like, welp *flexes hands* here we go again lmao
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