Catastrophe this Winter?

That’s a sensible approach for any winter.
I always did that when I lived out in the sticks snd even now I’m in town I might not want or be able to get out.

No need to big it up into a catastrophic scenario that makes people anxious. or suicidal 😱

It seems to be a trend about all sorts of things.

It’s not really about the supermarkets running out of food though, it’s about keeping a small additional stock of food that takes minimal cooking, and a means to cook it and keep yourself warm at very short, or no, notice.

I don't worry about the next generation since I was not selfish enough to bring more unproductive beings into an overpopulated country. If they can manage to get over their stress and nervousness at finding and doing a job they can get up of their lazy asses and shift for themselves

We had Covid. The world was in crisis. Did we run out of food. No we didn’t.

Look at the supermarket shelves. How much of that do people actually need for nutrition.

If there was a food shortage ( which I don’t think for a minute there will be) all the rubbish we eat might disappear and crops be used for nutritional foods instead.

No need to be suicidal unless you really can’t live without cheesy puffs😬

Im sorry you feel like that, Estrellita.

I mean this as kindly advice, not sarcastically: perhaps you should try to avoid threads with a title like this one, containing the word 'catastrophic'.

Thank you for cheering me up. I felt depressed already. Now I feel suicidal.

I was feeling depressed when I got up. Now I feel suicidal.

This is the coldest winter I've ever known in this country(NZ-the sub-tropical part) we had two frosts last week - we normally don't drop below 3 deg C at the very coldest, and they nipped some young trees quite badly. Be prepared for this coming winter, UK. My biggest concern for you would be the food issue...fertiliser will be in short supply, diminished food supplies, soaring costs. If I were still living there, I'd be investigating growing food wherever I could, buy in lots of seeds...just salad greens and herbs like parsley grown in pots will get you the Vit C and other nutrients from green veg, don't throw food away...turn it into good compost with whatever else you can lay your hands on. Start laying in food like rice and pasta. Freeze whatever you can, (though if power is disrupted, that might be an issue) make preserves, dry stuff in a dehydrator. Be prepared for the worst, and when everything turns out fine, you'll still be sorted!

You could start looking for the kind of camping stove that can be lit using any form of alcohol, or laying in a stock of camping gaz for your camp kitchen, plus a good supply of tinned foods.

If you are fit enough walk or cycle to nearby shops get into the habit of doing so, instead of driving your car.

Get in a good supply of wood if you have a wood-burner.

If not, and regulations don't allow you to install one, or you live in a house that has no chimney, think NOW about an alternative form of heating to whatever you have, so you can keep at least one room moderately warm, if the worst happens.

Draught proof the house, sew thick curtains to hang on the inside of outer doors.

Find a couple of oil lamps and lay in a store of lamp oil and candles.

Most of us in Scandinavia have been doing all of the above ever since Putin started his "special military operation".

The worst may not happen, but if it does, it will be slightly easier to get through if you have made sensible preperations.

My Mum hated waste and always made the most of every bit of food. She kept a good stock cupboard of all the basics. I've taken it a step further by taking on an allotment with my daughter, this is our 2nd year developing and working it and trying to preserve what we grow. Some failures but we've learnt a great deal. We have a 1000 ltr IBC water storage tank to ease the pressure on the water supply if next year is as bad as this.

Fearing further problems with oil supplies, which is our main source of heating, my DH has built 2 larger wood stores and stocked it so that we can at least keep part of the house warm with the log burner.

We can add the weather to that too. I'm not really concerned about heating and hot water because we've got a heat pump and we're shouting very loudly about having solar panels installed on the roof (I live in a 1960s council high-rise) and I take advantage of an electricity tariff that charges wholesale prices. That's not to say I'm not concerned about food shortages, but I've got a decent store of dried and tinned food.. I won't be eating banquets if it all goes t!ts up but I certainly won't starve. I'm not concerned about loo roll though because I've got a bum shower 😂

I am very concerned about the heat though. My flat is insulated to keep the heat in, the building is made from concrete and steel so retains heat... It's like living in an air fryer.
Ive been saving for a new sofa, I ended up spending the money on a portable air conditioner because I cannot live in a flat that's constantly above 23 degrees in summer... Even in winter it rarely drops below 17 without the heating in during the day.
This is only going to get worse and while my experience isn't the norm it's definitely a look into everyone's future unless you've got a house insulated for both hot and cold weather and the means to cool it down sufficiently.

Honestly? I don't know which scenario scares me more in the long term.

Gas will be critical and there may need to be rolling power cuts, but that is a worst case scenario, those that don't have an alternative heating source may be badly affected. All any of us can do is stock up as best we can and keep an eye on neighbours who may find it difficult.

Prepare for the worst, and hope for the best!

They were hard times in the 80s. No heating, not because it was cut off but because we couldn’t afford to put it on. The 15% mortgage took almost all the months salary.

No heating, no holidays, no car, no new clothes, definitely no eating out or takeaways, no cinema or days out, no telephone, no television for a while. Thank God for sex and radio😬

I think my point is we survived. 🙂

JenniRen

MaizieD

Lathyrus3

That was a Labour government I’m pretty sure.

Jim Callaghan and the”What crisis’ (misquote I believe)

The electricity power cuts happened under the Heath (tory) government in early 1972 during the miners strike. Coal was the principle fuel for power stations then. Miners' pay had fallen behind that of other industrial workers.

Not the Callaghan Labour government.

Yes, they did.

But the Winter of Discontent was miserable too with strikes.

But in hindsight, what came after has been far worse as it set in train all the things which have brought the UK to the state it is in now.

Of course, if people think that destroying the unions, destroying our heavy industry, privatising public utilities, degrading remaining public services and widening the gap between the rich and the poor was all worthwhile they are free to do so, but I'm not altogether sure that they are in the majority at present...

MaizieD

Lathyrus3

That was a Labour government I’m pretty sure.

Jim Callaghan and the”What crisis’ (misquote I believe)

The electricity power cuts happened under the Heath (tory) government in early 1972 during the miners strike. Coal was the principle fuel for power stations then. Miners' pay had fallen behind that of other industrial workers.

Not the Callaghan Labour government.

Yes, they did.

But the Winter of Discontent was miserable too with strikes.

BP pulling out of the North Sea will not make one iota of difference to production there. All it is doing is selling its assets, in production or planned to other operators.

One of the key reasons for keeping drilling and producing oil and gas from the waters around these islands is that it makes us less dependent on the Middle East and Africa for the oil and gas we do use. The more diverse the sources of our energy the safer our supply.

We will continue to produce oil and gas after we reach Net Zero, that is why it is Net Zero, not Zero. It will be needed for petrochemicals use in a wide range industries including pharmaceutics, producing those endless supplies of blue gloves used in medical environments and many other plasti goods we cannot do without.

DS phoned - on holiday in Ibiza to see eclipse- to say he’d been swimming and the sea is warmer than the Caribbean - he said he walked in with no discernible difference - it is 32c .

I forecast multiple storms and torrential rain this autumn

Ah I was getting muddled. I remembered crouching over a candle with several others in the shared house in London and then the misquote and conflated the two.

My mistake😳

Lathyrus3

That was a Labour government I’m pretty sure.

Jim Callaghan and the”What crisis’ (misquote I believe)

The electricity power cuts happened under the Heath (tory) government in early 1972 during the miners strike. Coal was the principle fuel for power stations then. Miners' pay had fallen behind that of other industrial workers.

Not the Callaghan Labour government.

Yes, it was James Callaghan's Government, perhaps I wasn't clear.
"Now is the winter of our discontent!"

That then resulted in a victory for Margaret Thatcher and the Tories.

That was a Labour government I’m pretty sure.

Jim Callaghan and the”What crisis’ (misquote I believe)

"Human beings are adaptable. I remember in the seventies we got used to the electricity being turned off for a few hours on a rota basis so that everyone had some."

That was for different reasons. The electorate then voted for Margaret Thatcher and look where that has got us. Privatised transport, energy companies etc and worst of all, privatised water companies.

There’s so much to worry about in daily life and so many challenges that I absolutely refuse to spend a minute thinking about ‘what maybes’ in the future If there are food shortages we will learn to eat what we have. The body was fitter when there was food rationing than it is now, when everyone dashes for the nearest kebab or fish and chips or takeaway
We will grow our own or maybe if not able, we will join a community that we can buy off others locally We will adapt because we always do.
Worrying about our kids or grandkids lives in the future is pointless too, we won’t be here to see any of it, and they as intelligent being will work with what they are given They are no less intelligent than every other era that has had to adapt and ‘find a way’
Now I m off to eat a vegi breakfast with some friends and then a dip in the filthy North Sea and home to sit and watch Emmerdale and Corrie I have a bracingly interesting life

"Unlike Australia, we don't have some a huge empty untouched area of virgin land out the back, that's never been used before, just waiting for a new idea..."

Unlike Great Britain, about 70% of Australia is arid desert or bushland, unsuitable for agriculture. A small proportion is protected rainforest. People tend to live where there is rainfall.

So, apart from small areas of mining, I'm not sure what the land could be used for or how large populations could survive without water.

My friends have water butts to collect rainwater too

I think many of us have several water butts, but no rain to fill them!