How To Survive The Upcoming Water Crisis

How To Survive The Upcoming Water Crisis. Photo – Pixabay (PD)

We take water for granted. We never see it as nothing more than a commodity, always there for the taking. It’s abundant and it’s everywhere. You can easily access a water tap almost everywhere (be it at home, in public institutions or even public water fountains) and you can use it at your heart’s desire. You can let the sprinkler run freely and just get the job done. We almost never consider whether we’re being wasteful or not when it comes to water, based on the premise that water can never run out, that it’s a never-ending source and it’s always going to be within our reach. But it’s not like that. Many factors along the years have changed things dramatically; and if we don’t take a good look at how things really are at the present, we might not get the future that we’re all hoping for. We haven’t run out of water… yet. But things are bound to change, and soon; and it’s up to us to act!

What’s Going On Now?

At this point, California is facing its fourth year of constant drought. It’s been year after year of constant aridity, weather conditions being resumed to increasing heat and massively decreasing precipitations, as they’re clearly shown here. In the given conditions, there is no future for agricultural activities or fisheries; even the municipal water supplies face extinction at one point or another. According to experts, the drought conditions seem to be advancing and other states will share the same fate in the not so distant future. And when it comes to preserving the water reserves, America doesn’t seem to be doing so well. At the present, the freshwater reserve is being consumed faster than it can actually be replenished. Except California, other states are bound to experience the effects very soon.

Yes, California is only the starting point. Today, about 80% of the U.S. is abnormally arid and dry, and according to recent data, this seems to be the driest year on record so far. But according to calculations and weather previsions, next year’s conditions are going to be even worse. We are currently the heaviest consumer of fresh water in the world. According to a recent estimate, we consume trillions of gallons of fresh water each year (throughout 150,000 water systems); but simply turning the tap off is not the best of options either, as our industries and economy are heavily dependent on water flow. Reducing the water usage drastically will easily debilitate the economy, that’s not doing too well anyway. The current water infrastructure seems to be outdated. An upgrade would not solve much of the crisis, just better the numbers a little. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the current state of the infrastructure is nothing more than a D; and repairing it would last about 20 years and cost trillions of taxpayer’s dollars.

Man-made Drought

Apparently, these the current arid conditions are not 100% Mother Nature’s work. Some would go even so far as to say that the drought conditions are being artificially maintained through military interventions. In the last years, many have witnessed the event in which cloud formations (capable of producing precipitations) would simply disappear into thin air after jet planes would make their presence heard. In no time the clouds would simply fade away, and the sky would remain filled with chemtrails (the trail jet planes leave behind when flying). Beyond the shadow of a doubt, these jet planes are interfering in the natural order of things by dissipating rain clouds with the help of the so-called SAG (stratospheric aerosol geoengineering), which has been in the possession of the military for many years now. It’s officially supposed to be a weapon for climate engineering to benefit against global warming.

You must be asking yourself why would anyone want to create and maintain desert weather conditions because this seems to make little sense. The answer is easy: financial gain and control for all the “right people”. It’s basically a plot set up in order to benefit big corporations and their money-making habits. Once the water reserve drops lower than ever, those who still have restricted access to it will sell it in no time for unimaginable amounts of money. And it’s begun already: you can find bottled water in the U.S. that can go on sale for as much as $13 / 2.5 gallons! Just imagine how much the water will cost once this grim plan is completed.

What’s To Be Done?

Although it might think we’re playing a losing game, that we are doomed from the start, there are still ways in which we can fight back and now let ourselves fall victims to corporate greed. There are a few simple steps to follow in order to break the chain and remain completely independent. This is what you must do:

Build Your Own Water Harvesting System:

The principle is based on a device that was used originally in the Arabian Desert. What this type of contraction does is to capture water vapors (which are everywhere) and transform them into clear, drinking water. Such a device is very energy-efficient, cost-friendly and it can be assembled even by the clumsiest person in no time at all. You can produce about 8 gallons of fresh water for about $1 a day, and with no assistance from your part: just turn it on and watch the magic happen.

Store Your Water:

I think the easiest way of storing water is in five-gallon containers. These containers are easy to open and to move around, rather than gallon drums. And make sure you have enough. Six five-gallon containers will supply a person with a month reserve on drinking water. I also suggest storing them in various places; if water reserves run so low that people will stop at nothing in getting it, you should spread your reserves around, so that in case of an attack, they won’t be found easily.

Learn To Locate Water:

For some reason or another, you may find yourself unprepared, stranded or forced to abandon your home. Learning how to locate water sources is a life-saving skill, which you absolutely must master in order to survive.

Apparently, we’re being target by the people we’re should look up to for protection. When it comes to human emotions, it’s not only love but also greed that has no boundaries. Don’t let yourself fall victim to such mischievous plans. Fight back with everything you have, follow my friendly set of advice and you will be just fine.

by My Family Survival Plan

California Wildfires Are Spiraling Out Of Control

In these past days, my attention was caught by the massive wildfires that have been rampaging the north of California. The media have given this phenomenon a lot of attention, and with good reason: the fires are massive and seem to be spreading at a more-than-alarming rate. The reason for the wildfire seems uncertain at this point, but if you come to think about it, there’s no ONE reason for the fire. As suggested, the starting point of the wildfires is most likely the numerous dry lightning strikes that took place over this past week, mostly in northern California.

But maintaining the gargantuan flames requires way more than simply the source of the outburst.

Years of severe drought (especially the last 4) have left their mark on the local vegetation, leaving behind numerous thickets of dried vegetation, which burnt violently, helping the fires spread “at the speed of light”. In my humble opinion, the impact would’ve been lesser if these past 4 years, the right investments and measure of precautions would have been taken by the local authorities. The signs of what was coming were evident, but collective lack of reaction is costing us dearly, as the aftermath will undoubtedly be far more expensive than the preventive measures involved.

So far the wildfire has stopped at nothing. It continued his destructive course even over a highway in Napa Valley. As the fires continue to spread, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (Cal Fire) has placed over 13,000 people under order of evacuation and listed about 7,000 structures as threatened, most of which are homes. The Rocky Fire (as the blaze was named) has already engulfed 68,000 acres so far and destroyed well over 50 buildings since it eruption last week, in arid canyons near Clearlake. The costs of the destruction haven’t been estimated so far; they’re to be accurately calculated once the ordeal is over. I for one am even afraid to fathom the deficit that this will add to our already declining economy.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/04/us/california-wildfires/

Smoke from the blaze is visible up to 80 miles South of Napa. But despite seeming at its peak, the ordeal is far from over. This upcoming week is thought to be even hotter and drier than the previous periods of time, according to Cal Fire estimates. So dampening the impact of the flames is still out of the question. But despite the grim scenario, firefighters are doing their best in order to control the pace of destruction. Over 10,000 firemen have been deployed in the area, along with the state line, including even off-duty personnel who was called back to work due to the state of emergency. According to Cal Fire, 3,200 men are assigned directly to the Rocky Fire vicinities, along with70 bulldozers, 19 water-dropping helicopter units, and 5 air tankers.

The Obama administration was informed of the cataclysmic proportions of the wildfires in California but didn’t seem to react promptly or decisively in the matter, having very little to say about the upcoming state of events. According to official news releases, most of the president’s time is filled with the unveiling on August the 10^th 2015 of the final version of his plan in order to tackle climate change, which is set on reducing carbon emissions from the power sector by 32%. But this has very little to do with tackling the current unfolding disasters that are already taking place. The current lack of infrastructures is leaving the U.S. vulnerable to immediate disasters. The government’s plan is to reduce future climate impacts, but it’s hardly touching the subject of how natural disasters are affecting the lives of millions of Americans today. The Clean Power Plan (as the program is called), is most likely doomed to fail, as did others before it if the funding of necessary infrastructure to withstand natural disasters scenarios will be delayed even further than it already has.

Survive!

Salvation, however, does not lie in governments, does not necessarily dwell in collective efforts. I’m afraid we’re past that point already. They will promise and they will bargain, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to you, to your adaptability and survival instincts. We’ve been set on the road for destruction for many years now, and the Rocky Fire does nothing more than to demonstrate that it has already hit the fan, that the hard days that were coming are already here! So get ready, while there’s still time. Take all the survival precautions necessary: stack up on resources and reserves, start learning about what it takes to survive in hard times and be ready to defend yourself and the ones you love.

by My Family Survival Plan

The Worst Drought Of The Millennium! What It Means And How We Can Fight It

The South-West it’s now in its 11^th year of drought. A decade has past and things don’t seem to be getting any better. 2014 was actually the warmest year recorded in California over the past 400 years, but recent scientific studies show that this is nothing compared with what’s to come.

Scientists from the most prestigious universities in the country (Columbia, Cornell and also NASA) had joined forces, and after investigating the matter, released an official paper in the scientific journal Science Advances, warning that the south-west and the central plains are about to face drought conditions unprecedented in the last 1,000 years.

The long cycle of drought in the region (well over 35 years) and little annual precipitation will most likely mean the end of the damp climate we got accustomed to the past 2 centuries. The impact of man on the climate does nothing more than to accommodate the arid conditions that are soon to take over a large portion of U.S. territory. Ben Cook (Nasa’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies) had this to say: “Nearly every year is going to be dry toward the end of the 21st century, compared with what we think of as normal conditions now. We’re going to have to think about a much drier future in western North America.”

The forth-coming aridity will have a devastating impact on agriculture and cattle herds. The prices will grow uncontrollably when the drought sets in, affecting an estimate of about $60 million people from regions who depend on scarce water resources or are based on infrastructures designed during an abnormally moist century (San Antonio, San Diego, Omaha etc). The scientists who conducted the research agree that the desert cities like Phoenix and Lax Vegas will suffer the most damage. Data shows that in the past, on a spam of 4 centuries (9^th – 14^th century), the region had been subjected to a previous period of intense drought, whom paleoclimatologists have deemed the Medieval Climate Anomaly, believed to have been the cause of perdition to some previous civilizations. But the drought that’s to come in 2050 is believed to be much worse than everything else on record. “We are the first to do this kind of quantitative comparison between the projections and the distant past, and the story is a bit bleak. Even when selecting for the worst mega-drought dominated period, the 21st century projections make the (previous) mega-droughts seem like quaint walks through the Garden of Eden”, says Dr Jason Smerdon, climate scientist at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and co-author of the study.

The mega-drought will spell disaster in more ways than one. The upcoming water shortage does not mean only reduced drinkable water, but it also puts a strain on the vegetation. Dried up vegetation highly increases the risks of wildfire. California and Arizona aren’t the only targets of the phenomena. The study suggests that the affected area will be in fact much larger, comprised of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, North / South Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, Arkansas and Louisiana. The chance of extended drought (over 40 years), say the scientists, is over 80%, unless measures are taken in order to attenuate the impact and lower the speed of climate change. The scientists involved in this project say that the level of accuracy of the measurements is really high as, unlike other recent studies, they also took into consideration the rise of carbon emissions. 17 separate computer simulations based on the rate of constant rising emissions and complex climate changes gave more-than-accurate results. Not only will the amount of precipitation (rain, snow) be considerably reduced, but high temperatures will speed the evaporation process, leading to arid and inhospitable conditions.

Last year, the Obama administration announced a budget $200 million in order to counter the recent Drought in California. When asked if this would be enough for the upcoming mega-drought, Dr Cook said no. He thinks that these kind measures are only enough for droughts with a certain amount of climate impact, going on for at least a period of 10 – 15 years. The mega-drought of 2050 will surpass all expectations. It will come down to more than a fixed budget. It will take a collective effort from all of the U.S. citizens to prepare for what’s coming.

Drought Monitor – California, 2014

Water Conservation Tips For Everybody

We must be more protective of our water resources! Here are a few tips and tricks on how we can dampen the impact of the mega-drought that’s about to hit:

• Check the plumbing for leaks and repair what’s damaged, in order to reduce leakage

• Dripping faucets should be replaced a.s.a.p.

• Don’t let the water run down the drain if you could find another use for it (for ex. watering plants)

• Install an instant hot water heater

• Make sure your appliances are both energy and water efficient

• Purchase a low-volume toilette, that uses only half the water in comparison to most models

• Get a ultra-low-flow shower head

• Dispose of food in the garbage rather than using the sink disposal unit

• Don’t purchase water toys that require a constant stream of water

• Don’t install ornamental water fountains

• Harvest rain water

• Make sure your lawn sprinklers don’t waste water on non-green areas (like sidewalks or paved areas)

• Check sprinklers periodically to make sure they’re as water-efficient as possible

• Plant drought-resistant plants and lawn

• User mulch around trees and plants to reduce evaporation

• Avoid over-fertilization (fertilization requires water)

• Turn irrigation off in fall and winter and water manually if you must

• Get a weather-based irrigation controller (a system that sets the irrigation timing and intensity according to the existing weather conditions, not going off when it’s raining)

• Install a water-saving pool filter

• Cover your pool or fountain to avoid evaporation

Water Conservation Tips For Farmers And Ranchers

Planning ahead and considering the upcoming climate changes can prolong your business. Be efficient and reduce water consumption for as much as possible.

• Chose the water irrigation system that will make you lose the least amount of water to evaporation, run-off or percolation

• Find ways in which to improve your current irrigation system, making it less wasteful and more efficient

• Get a water storage system

• Store water in ditches in the field

• Use water measurement tools

• Reduce soil evaporation with conservation tillage

• Monitor soil moisture constantly

• Stack up on food and water reserves for your animals

• Animals that do not consume high quantities of water are preferable

• Plant crops and use cropping systems that are less water dependent

The drought that will hit the U.S. in 2050 is not a theory anymore, it’s a scientific certainty. If society fails as a unit, make sure that at least you don’t fail as an individual. Take all the necessary precautions and get ready for what’s about to hit, because it will hit hard!

by My Family Survival Plan