REBUILDING WORLD

[bigpaul]

I think your missing the point Dev, its not that all steel, iron, machinery and other plant would be reduced to dust, eventually they will of course, but its more about the bits that go to make up that machinery, the "sum of its parts" lets say.
lets go back to that solar panel for a minute, now "solar panels can and do last for up to and sometimes beyond 3 decades, but the inverter, batteries and electronics you plug into it probably wont. anything that relies on batteries(even rechargeable ones)is guaranteed to be worthless once the battery chemicals wear out and there are no more to be had". unquote.
either your going to need a shed load of spare parts or the ability (and know how) to be able to make new ones in a world where there may be no power....which is why you need the solar panel in the first place

[Devonian]

No, I understand what you are saying BP and Agree!

But......

Mankind also has an uncanny knack of being able to reverse engineer things; bodge things; come up with completely new heath robinson solutions etc..... Also as I mentioned in an earlier post, I agree that we are highly unlikely to be able to manufacture 'new' solar panels or for that matter anything else with semi-conductors (at least for my lifetime), but that doesn't mean we will be powerless.....

[bigpaul]

some form of "heath robinson" or good old bodging MAY be possible to begin with, again depending on "resources" available and level of knowledge (there may be lots of electrocutions if people don't know what their doing) but what about after? as John is always telling me, what about the generations that come behind? will they have the skills and knowledge?

---

i'm sorry, but I don't understand the fixation with having power, I suppose its become so much a part of everyones lives that no one can imagine a time without it, but electricity in houses in the UK is a very modern invention and was only installed in the 1930s and some didn't have it until the 60s, for many thousands of years if not millions human beings have lived without it. yet when you see reports of power CUTS on the tv people are going mad without it, one guy even said "its like living in the middle ages" and the power had only been off for 24 hours !power is nice to have I suppose but its not the be all and end all, well it isn't to me, it is possible to live without it, but I think it takes a different sort of person to accomplish it, probably not something that everyone can do or wants to, and there is the rub.

[River Song]

In terms of the ingenuity of humans as an example, take a look at
Cuba since the 1958 etc / 60's .... and see what they have 'bodged' together.

Never underestimate mankind's survival skills

[bigpaul]

different kind of society I think, cant see our lot pulling together, to much of the "hands out" generation.

[Devonian]

(25 September 2015, 08:47)River Song Wrote: In terms of the ingenuity of humans as an example, take a look at
Cuba since the 1958 etc / 60's .... and see what they have 'bodged' together.

Never underestimate mankind's survival skills

Spot on RS

Also just look at any third world country from India to Kenya and see how they cobble together all sorts of contraptions to make life easier, man has been doing that forever and will continue to do so.

(25 September 2015, 09:03)bigpaul Wrote: different kind of society I think, cant see our lot pulling together, to much of the "hands out" generation.

Yes but after the type of events we are inferring here, our society would also be very different to what it is today. Your Chav's Chavettes would be long long gone.....

[bigpaul]

Yes but after the type of events we are inferring here, our society would also be very different to what it is today. Your Chav's Chavettes would be long long gone.....
[/quote]

I do hope so Dev, I REALLY do hope so.
BUT don't base our populations survival on India or Cuba, different kind of society, in a consumer society where everyone (if they are employed) are specialists, and how many have knowledge outside their chosen profession? if anyone is to survive they need to be "jack of all trades" not "master of one", we need to be all rounders with knowledge of many things.
I know NR did a list many moons ago about what skills we need, its probably in the archives somewhere.

[NorthernRaider]

Prepper
Sewing
Knitting
Darning
Weaving
Thread making
Needle maker
Leatherwork
Tanner / Tanning
Shearing / Fleecing
Skinning
Animal husbandry / Veterinarian
Black smith
Copper smith
Gunsmith
Tin smith
Coppicing
Arboritry
Williow weaving
Tool sharpening / Toolmaker
Wood lathing / turning
Brush making
Rope making
Sail Making
Seamstress
Quilter
Saddle maker
Farrier
Barrel maker
Bow maker / Bowyer
Arrow smith
Boat builder
Midwifery / Nursing
Herbalist
Homeopathist
Alchemy (medicinal)
Alchemy (Black powder maker)
Herbalist
Plumbing / Hydrology
Brick Layer
Joiner / Carpenter
Stone mason
Tile maker / Brick Maker
Hunter / Fisherman
Miner (minerals) / Geologist / Driller
Telecoms / radio telegraphy
Electrical / electronics engineer
Mechanic
Boiler maker
Wheel wright
Welder / riveter
Food preserver / bottling/ canning/ tinning / salting/ drying / smoker
Candle Maker
Bee Keeper
Brewer / distiller
Glass maker / blower
Rope Maker
Mill stone cutter
Brick maker
Food Fish breeder
Charcoal maker
Smelter
Jeweler
Thread maker
Lime render plasterer
Quicklime burner
Map maker
Paper maker
Engraver

[bigpaul]

thanks for that NR, I was hoping you'd pop up and post it.

[Devonian]

Yep all very true....

Or least such skills would be needed within a wider community.