Turning the lights back on...

[Bucket]

(19 April 2013, 21:06)Highlander Wrote: We have a heck of a lot of hydro schemes here, with the amount of rain we get and the mountainous terrain,.. its the perfect power supply,... those should be easy to operate, although I dont know this for sure

If everything intact, then it's a case of flick the breakers, reset the switchboard (row of toggle switches) and power up.

Problem comes from if somethings been damaged.

Personally, prefer being off a grid for power, too many links from generation to here for my liking. (that can go off without warning, so no cup of tea)

[MaryN]

It seems to me that, on the one hand you are advocating coping with life after an event in the most simple terms, and then on the other hand talking about switching back on things like power stations. Do you think this would lead to arguments as to who would be deserving of receiving the (probably) rather limited supply of electricity? Not to mention who would be volunteering to run the wretched places? Dig the coal? I cannot imagine being able to cherry pick what would be available or not. Would you want to start again with things just as they were before?

[Jack]

I'm suggesting post event that the lights would be off as all utilities, so no choice but to live by our means, or in simple terms. But then improving these "means" by jump starting existing utilities as and where possible.
Distributing power would be another, though related issue and a good one to bring up. This of course would be decided by whatever council of people are making the decisions. If I could make any input to the decision then I'd opt to power sanitation/water systems communications and if at this point had a working hospital there to.
If there where remaining power but not enough for all homes a relocation program may be of use to get the remaining populace close to the power stations. But I do not pretend to have any knowledge in how power distribution would work if limited so may well be the case that people remain in the dark for a time after vital areas are powered up.

[Highlander]

(19 April 2013, 21:38)MaryN Wrote: It seems to me that, on the one hand you are advocating coping with life after an event in the most simple terms, and then on the other hand talking about switching back on things like power stations. Do you think this would lead to arguments as to who would be deserving of receiving the (probably) rather limited supply of electricity? Not to mention who would be volunteering to run the wretched places? Dig the coal? I cannot imagine being able to cherry pick what would be available or not. Would you want to start again with things just as they were before?

In a perfect world No,.. I agree, I would rather not bother turning it back on,.. but you can bet that someone will try, and if they succeed would you rather they lived in comfort with power while you lived by firelight?

Then of course it depends on how good a prepper you were in that `other life`, because if you didnt prep well, you may need that power to survive,..then their are the older preppers amongst us, how long would we survive without power

The answer to the last question is as long as needed providing you plan well now, but as settlements started to grow up around you with their lights blazing,... would most people want to remain in the shaddows?,.. would you?,...I think I would be happy enough, but most people wouldn't be

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Then of course, humans being humans, a badly distribution of power could also lead to armed conflicts, there is no greater resentment than between the `haves` and the `have nots`

[Jack]

I most definitely would... And jump straight on a computer when comms are up hit the web and see if the forum members on here where successful post event.
Then start prepping for the next disaster!

[bigpaul]

mankind lived for many centuries WITHOUT electricty, nuclear power, mobile phones or computers or many of the other "wonders" of modern life, and WE CAN DO SO AGAIN, its just a different lifestyle, more manual i give you but would that be better for us? no couch potatoes in the new life, just people doing as much as they can.

[Tartar Horde]

The most important utility to get working again would be water, it is the most basic need of all humans. I could live without electricity and gas, but lack of water means I can't irrigate crops or feed animals easily. Living a simpler life in balance is a laudable goal BP and the world would be a better place if a lot of us followed that mantra. If the crash is serious enough our technological infrastructure would be destroyed without any hope of return to "normal", the people needed to run everything would not be available, and although automated systems will take over for a while it is only a matter of time before the lights go out and never come on again. I hope it doesn't go this way as I quite like civilisation, and being able to take a dump on a toilet instead of crapping in a hole.

[bigpaul]

(20 April 2013, 11:49)Tartar Horde Wrote: The most important utility to get working again would be water, it is the most basic need of all humans. I could live without electricity and gas, but lack of water means I can't irrigate crops or feed animals easily. Living a simpler life in balance is a laudable goal BP and the world would be a better place if a lot of us followed that mantra. If the crash is serious enough our technological infrastructure would be destroyed without any hope of return to "normal", the people needed to run everything would not be available, and although automated systems will take over for a while it is only a matter of time before the lights go out and never come on again. I hope it doesn't go this way as I quite like civilisation, and being able to take a dump on a toilet instead of crapping in a hole.

i never said "going without water" it just wont come through a pipe at the turn of a tap, you'll have to find a spring or a well or some other source. as for taking a dump ever heard of a "compost toilet"?? its only modern man that has flushed it down the toilet " out of sight out of mind", older country people know this is a valuable resourse that can be used!

[Highlander]

@TH... but in most cases you need Electric to obtain the water, that's if you want it pumped or/and filtered

[MaryN]

I'm pretty certain there are deep well manual pumps available. As for water filtration, well how about reed beds or charcoal filtration?
Whilst I could see that losing electricity would be a bit of a bummer(!), people existed without it for centuries and no doubt could do so again. And BP is right, composting toilets are not only perfectly usable they are also eco-friendly.