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+--- Thread: Ice Age Lifestyle? (/showthread.php?tid=3362)
Ice Age Lifestyle? - Scythe13 - 19 November 2012
This is a reaction to Prepper1's question of what would life be like, if we were really heading into another ice age.
Would love to hear everyone's views on this.
RE: Ice Age Lifestyle? - NorthernRaider - 19 November 2012
Like Living in British Columbia for a while, then like living in Anchorage Alaska for the next few generation, then like living in Nome !!! Certainly western Europe could only sustain 10% of its current population if we for example lost the benefit of the gulf conveyor stream or we got another mini ice age like we did in the 1600s when they held Ice Fayres on the Thames every year.
Though it would happen fast in geological time scales it would still take generations to extend its influence fully. To begin with the south east would probly just get the north easts weather, and the north east gets Scotlands, Scotland gets the faros weather and the Faros gets Icelands.
But then once the ocean currents cooled over many years and the ice caps started growing you would see Greenland , Newfoundland, Finland become almost uninhabitable. We would go from 4 to 2 seasons like in Alaska. Much of Europe would no longer be able to grow grains and spuds.
Many nuclear plants would have to close as they could not be guarenteed continous coolong water. British type central heating boilers designed to run for an average 3 to 4 months a year giving an operational life of 12 to 15 years would be wearing out in 5 to 8 years, double glazing would need to be more like the Scandinavian triple glazing.
Much of our decidious woodland would be wiped out as would much of the wildlife.
The vicous freeze / thaw cycle would decimate our tarmac roads and only Scotlands electricty pylons would have the integral strength to take the battering from winter storms.
Skidoos and Ski sales would become popular and gun licences would have to be increased to allow for the southern migration of Polar bears and wulufs
Drilling for geothermal energy, building wind turbines and building PV arrays would rightly finally squash the pathetic nimby lobby cos demand for oil and gas would mean only the ultra rich could afford it.
RE: Ice Age Lifestyle? - Prepper1 - 19 November 2012
You can feel the cold oozing through double glazing if you stand up against the window on a cold day.
Could probably insulate that with polystyrene ceiling tiles as that's fairly cheap.
That'd help keep the heat in as well.
RE: Ice Age Lifestyle? - Neuralsandwich - 19 November 2012
I live in an old small flat. I have single pane windows. If you go near them you can feel the air leeching the heat out of the air and your body, don't even need to touch them.
RE: Ice Age Lifestyle? - Scythe13 - 19 November 2012
(19 November 2012, 12:16)Neuralsandwich Wrote: I live in an old small flat. I have single pane windows. If you go near them you can feel the air leeching the heat out of the air and your body, don't even need to touch them.
Same here mate.
I've been putting the odd night light candle by a window, just to try and offset the heat loss.
RE: Ice Age Lifestyle? - bigpaul - 19 November 2012
be careful of candles near curtains, many a house fire has started like that!
RE: Ice Age Lifestyle? - Mandlaka - 19 November 2012
Does the candle really offset the cold near the window, though?
As Prepper1 has just said, you would feel the cold near a double glazed window.
My current double glazing (installed a year ago) is not that great and it was an improvement on the old set.
And I am further south than you guys.
You really must feel the cold!
As for me, I would head to warmer climes as soon as I could 'cos I so hate the cold!!!!
RE: Ice Age Lifestyle? - NorthernRaider - 19 November 2012
You can buy polyfilm seconary double glazing kits from B & Q for about £20, all you do is put double sided tape round the edge of the frame, stretch the film over the window, then shrint it tight and clear with a hair drier. You can also buy a couple of the foil coated foam insulation panels and cut them to fit your window frame, you can make some timber plywood folding window shutters to use instead or with curtains, you can fit themal foil lines curtains.
RE: Ice Age Lifestyle? - Neuralsandwich - 19 November 2012
Thank NR, they are great tips. I currently have bubble wrap over the vents. Brought the temp from 13* to 15* normally. With the heating on I can keep the place nicely at 19* But I don't think digital thermostat tells the truth though.
I think I will be going to B&Q soon then!
RE: Ice Age Lifestyle? - Scythe13 - 19 November 2012
Personally, I'm not fussed about the cold. Love it, to be fair. But the wife turns blue and purple every time the temp drops a little.
For me, I love a nice ice bath (after training) so am okay with being chilled. She can't cope with my version of a 'normal' bath (just warm enough for me). Her bath's are like stepping into lava!!! Give me a lukewarm bath, and I'm as happy as can be. Give me an ice bath, and I'm cool with that. But her....she freezes at temps that I think are 'just right'. We were at Woolacombe a little while back, I was swimming in the sea for about 2 hours. Her hands were turning blue when waist deep!!!
The candles are for her. They make her feel like the house is warmer. Whether it offsets the cold coming in....probably not. But it makes her feel better, so I'm okay with that.