About The Show:
"Our entire way of life depends on electricity. So what would happen if it just stopped working? Well, one day, like a switch turned off, the world is suddenly thrust back into the dark ages. Planes fall from the sky, hospitals shut down, and communication is impossible. And without any modern technology, who can tell us why?
Now, 15 years later, life is back to what it once was long before the industrial revolution: families living in quiet cul-de-sacs, and when the sun goes down, the lanterns and candles are lit. Life is slower and sweeter. Or is it?
On the fringes of small farming communities, danger lurks. And a young woman's life is dramatically changed when a local militia arrives and kills her father, who mysteriously - and unbeknownst to her - had something to do with the blackout. This brutal encounter sets her and two unlikely companions off on a daring coming-of-age journey to find answers about the past in the hopes of reclaiming the future.
From director Jon Favreau ("Iron Man," "Iron Man 2") and the fertile imaginations of J.J. Abrams and Eric Kripke ("Supernatural"), comes a surprising "what if" action-adventure series, where an unlikely hero will lead the world out of the dark. Literally."
I have to admit, after my husband showed me the trailer for this new television show set to premier this fall, I became very excited! I grew up with various family friends that are "survivalists." These people know everything about everything. They know medicine, how to make food appear out of nowhere and they know all the dirty secrets of every organization, corporation and government you can imagine. As a child, I learned just to be quiet and listen to them talk.
As an adult, especially with my children I have taken to reading and practicing my own sort of survivalism. Not on the scale that you would see on television, but I know that if anything bad happens from natural disasters to civil war...we will be just fine. So, in watching this trailer, I was in my element. And I decided to write about this and pose some questions for you to think about. Whether you act on any of these things will be up to you; these are just interesting things to think about...at the very least.
As food and clean water are essential to life let's start there. Currently, how are you fed? Where does your food come from? Most people would say, "the store." Well...say there is no transportation anymore and your apples are no longer coming from South America...where do you get fed? Do you have a garden and is it the size it needs to be to feed your entire family all year long? Most likely not. Let me give you some information that you may not know...you cannot depend on your local farmers to help you in a serious situation like that. First of all, they only have so much land. Second of all, if the transportation ends...they no longer can use their tractors and I don't know any farmers besides the Amish that have horse drawn anything anymore. If you live in corn and soybean country...most of those fields are not for human consumption and if you try to eat those crops, you will get very sick. Most corn and soybeans are grown for cattle.
Speaking of cattle. The current demand for meat in America...with no electricity...what would happen to all of it? Would they have to destroy the animals or would they be turned loose to go and hopefully find food to survive on their own? Since we live in a profit driven society, I can promise you that those animals would be destroyed so that no one else could possibly profit if the owners could not.
So what is a good solution to this possible mess? Start growing your own food now. If you live in a low light apartment with no balcony...you can still grow lettuce and other greens inside. Do your research and be creative, learn to forage for wild greens and edibles-know what is and is not food in your area. For people with land, think about starting a food forest. This was an ancient practice that is being revived today through the efforts of the people like Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton of the Permaculture Research Institute in Australia; and Sepp Holtzer of Austria. It takes some research and getting away from modern agriculture ideas, but it is the best solution for a possible food shortage!
If there is no running water, where are you going to get your water? For people who have already been installing manual rain water harvesting solutions in and around their homes...they will not have a problem. But, for those in areas where there is barely any water such as Arizona, they might be hurting and have to move to another location. Know your local water sources such as creeks, rivers, lakes, dams, rain cycles, and so forth. At the very least you can have a few buckets on hand to collect even a little water when it rains (just use dark buckets to prevent algea and cover it to keep the mosquitoes out). I would also suggest learning how to purify water as you do not want to be drinking parasites and other unhealthy things.
What will happen to all of the medical facilities with no electricity? I think many, many people would die at first. There is no way to sugarcoat that. Too many people rely on doctors and pharmaceuticals that require large amounts of energy to both make and store. However, when the initial shock would be done, people will do what they have been doing for centuries and turn to people that know what herbs and plants cure this and that.
I have been researching this area for quite sometime and am pleasantly surprised that God really did plan ahead when he created the earth. There is a cure for practically everything...and it is all plant based! My great-grandmother was known for her home grown remedies, but my grandmother did not retain or pass down that information as she wanted to be like the "cool kids" and have "real medicine." So, I am now trying to learn what was lost in just one generation.
Can you name any medicinal herbs that grow around the area that you live out in the wild? Or maybe you know someone that cultivates these medicinals.
Here is a question that some people really do not think about. What would you do about you and your children's continued education? Would you expect teachers to keep teaching or would you take this matter into your own hands?
We already home educate, but I also plan ahead. We are working on expanding our library constantly. Everything that you would normally use the internet for, we try to have on hand. We have various encyclopedias, classic literature, poetry, academic skill books of every kind and so on and so forth. We find daily pleasure in our books, but they also serve that "just in case" purpose as well.
How about entertainment? Without electricity, you would be far busier taking care of everyday needs, but the Bushmen in Africa and the Amish in America still find time for play. We have a stock of cards, board games, art supplies, manual crafting supplies and the list goes on. My only sadness is our electric piano. I have wanted a regular piano for years, but that is something we have yet to acquire. We do still have our voices and they are wonderful for singing, reading aloud, and creating theatrical diversions.
Nature has learned to survive in our harsh urban environments, but I wonder how many urban dwellers would be able to survive with nature? There again, I think many people would succumb to some very harsh realities. But then there are those with an adventurous spirit that would just take life as it came and hope for the best! I love people like that...people who can find a way to smile even in the toughest of circumstances.
I cannot help but wonder what our oceans, lakes and rivers would look like fifteen years down the road with no commercial fishing and no commercial pollution. I dare say, today, we would not even recognize the difference an event like that would make! Can you imagine the beauty of natural restoration to all of the broken habitats? The mind reels at the possibilities.
I have no idea what clean air smells like. I really do not. Air is even polluted in the country as more and more farmers use chemicals and factory farming methods. In urban settings there are factories that give off toxic fumes, car fumes, and so much more. With the depletion of our forests, the trees are our only natural air purifier, those that are left cannot keep up with the demand to meet our needs to keep our lungs free from pollution. What would real clean air smell like when there is no commercial forestry and natural habitats are able to grow wild? If nature were allowed to take its course, would the deserts begin to disappear? This is a very healthy thought.
One last thought that I will leave you with today. With no light pollution, what would the night sky look like from your own backyard? Would you be able to carry on the ancient tradition of telling stories to your children and grandchildren from the constellations? What sort of new and beautiful traditions would you begin if you could start all over?
