Would YOU be able to cope without electricity?

[Andrew]

With this talk about solar flares being a worry and having the ability to wipe out electricity on an extremely large scale is an interesting topic. There have been problems on a minor scale with solar flares but nothing big enough to destroy electricity for months and months, but this CAN happen.

If a big solar flare hit the UK tomorrow, and knocked out out electric supplies for 2-3 months, what would you do?

Firstly, without electricity there would be no...

Internet
TV
XBOX
Music (no gigs for a few months)
Mobile Phones
Computers
Cars (Where would the petrol stations get their power from?)
Heating

And many, many more could be added, we would go back living like the Victorians did and any times before that temporarily until the Government got our electricity back.

About 99% of people will not have work to go to, and all schools would be shut.

Just wondering, would you do without electricity? Would you riot, steal, or relax and actually get in your head that maybe it isn't such a bad thing.

For me, I personally think it wouldn't be so bad, we would still have our books, our arts and most things practical. If this was in winter, right in the middle of the football season then I'm sure football would be cancelled, that's a bad thing I suppose, and most sports in fact wouldn't be able to function.

But life may get quite boring, and food will be in short supply which will be a struggle for everyone.

Interesting topic though, and the fact that this could happen makes it even more interesting.

Thoughts?

 

[Hamilton]

We would still have our books and our art?

Are you mad?

It would be carnage. That's why we need oil, solar, wave, bio, and wind power technologies to continue to provide energy.

Alternatively you could starve as you read your book.

 

[halbpro]

With this talk about solar flares being a worry and having the ability to wipe out electricity on an extremely large scale is an interesting topic. There have been problems on a minor scale with solar flares but nothing big enough to destroy electricity for months and months, but this CAN happen.

If a big solar flare hit the UK tomorrow, and knocked out out electric supplies for 2-3 months, what would you do?

Firstly, without electricity there would be no...

Internet
TV
XBOX
Music (no gigs for a few months)
Mobile Phones
Computers
Cars (Where would the petrol stations get their power from?)
Heating

And many, many more could be added, we would go back living like the Victorians did and any times before that temporarily until the Government got our electricity back.

About 99% of people will not have work to go to, and all schools would be shut.

Just wondering, would you do without electricity? Would you riot, steal, or relax and actually get in your head that maybe it isn't such a bad thing.

For me, I personally think it wouldn't be so bad, we would still have our books, our arts and most things practical. If this was in winter, right in the middle of the football season then I'm sure football would be cancelled, that's a bad thing I suppose, and most sports in fact wouldn't be able to function.

But life may get quite boring, and food will be in short supply which will be a struggle for everyone.

Interesting topic though, and the fact that this could happen makes it even more interesting.

Thoughts?

Can happen, but very, very unlikely that anything strong enough to wipe out electricity for more than a few days in an isolated area unless someone at the National Grid f***s up big time.

As for could I survive, probably but it'd be tough. Try and get over to my mum, know she's got some decent camping supplies including gas bottles etc... so could at least cook.

 

[countryman]

I would be able to cope. It would just be REALLY boring.

 

[Andrew]

We would still have our books and our art?

Are you mad?

It would be carnage. That's why we need oil, solar, wave, bio, and wind power technologies to continue to provide energy.

Alternatively you could starve as you read your book.

I'm saying books and art would be an alternative to the internet. Food would be a problem, I agree.

 

[countryman]

And I would have to spend a lot of time chopping up wood to burn so I could make a cup of tea.

 

[Everest]

No footy (elf'n'safety) so make sure it's after the end of the season.

 

[Andrew]

I would be able to cope. It would just be REALLY boring.

That's my worry, just sitting around all day trying to find something to do, I would resort to just reading probably.

 

[countryman]

I'm saying books and art would be an alternative to the internet. Food would be a problem, I agree.

I don't think food would be that big a problem. For a start, you can source a lot of food from the wild. Eat rabbits for meat. You can eat seaweed. Mushrooms. And in a couple of months there will be fruit and berries all over the countryside. It would just be a case of knowing what you are looking for.

 

[Hamilton]

Without electricity ie if we run out of options, society will implode.

Take your list. Now think of everything you possibly can and add it to that list. That's what you would be without.

That is how real our energy crisis is. We're talking extinction level event if it's turned off tomorrow.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

I'd say the entertainment isn't an issue in the absolute great scheme of things - can still play football, go cycling, play golf, get drunk, read books etc etc. In fact, I'd say it would probably have a massive positive effect on the mental and physical wellbeing of a huge amount of the country if limited to a few weeks.

I'd say it's more the practical stuff:

Transport
Hospitals
Banks/Money
Food Storage

 

[Andrew]

I don't think food would be that big a problem. For a start, you can source a lot of food from the wild. Eat rabbits for meat. You can eat seaweed. Mushrooms. And in a couple of months there will be fruit and berries all over the countryside. It would just be a case of knowing what you are looking for.

This is what would start the carnage though, with everyone rushing to get the limited resources growing round the place.

 

[countryman]

This is what would start the carnage though, with everyone rushing to get the limited resources growing round the place.

Fair point. Plus, I think there would be many people who would be too useless to be able to get their own food or learn how to get their own food from our great countryside.

 

[Andrew]

Without electricity ie if we run out of options, society will implode.

Take your list. Now think of everything you possibly can and add it to that list. That's what you would be without.

That is how real our energy crisis is. We're talking extinction level event if it's turned off tomorrow.

If you lower the time frame to a week lets say, maybe a fortnight, hard to think that the whole country would start killing each other.

 

[Hamilton]

I don't think food would be that big a problem. For a start, you can source a lot of food from the wild. Eat rabbits for meat. You can eat seaweed. Mushrooms. And in a couple of months there will be fruit and berries all over the countryside. It would just be a case of knowing what you are looking for.

60 million people in the UK are suddenly chasing rabbits round the countryside?

Has NSC gone mad tonight?

 

[Triggaaar]

About 99% of people will not have work to go to

Why?

all schools would be shut

Why? You can do a fair amount of work with children without electricity, and a lot of teachers could walk to work.

Why can't petrol stations use generators to power their pumps?

You don't seem to have much faith in the ability of humans.

 

[Andrew]

Why?
Why? You can a fair amount of work with children without electricity, and a lot of teachers could walk to work.

Why can't petrol stations use generators to power their pumps?

You don't seem to have much faith in the ability of humans.

If it is a serious solar flare then even things like generators wouldn't work, and most secondary schools have teachers living in places over 20 miles from their school, and no one would be informed unless by letter what to do, plus no one could print paper for students ect.

Before electricity yes, school could work, but with electricity, then to lose it, no, it wouldn't work.

 

[surrey jim]

I'd be gutted I didnt have solar panels on my roof.

 

[Hamilton]

If you lower the time frame to a week lets say, maybe a fortnight, hard to think that the whole country would start killing each other.

2 weeks will certainly give you enough time to learn how to kill bunnies, and you'll have collected a couple of bags of rotting berries.

No, you would be dead. And sooner than you think.

Our world relies on trade, on manufacture, on movement, on supply chains. Our spread of population relies on heating. Our evolution has determined a reliance on hygiene, on fuel for food and for mass farming.

As we are, you and I and 99% of people would not survive the leccy being switched off and that's why we had better get behind solutions sooner rather than later. Nuclear, oil, wind, wave - the full mix!

 

[Triggaaar]

If it is a serious solar flare then even things like generators wouldn't work

How long does the flare last?

no one would be informed unless by letter what to do

That's laughable. Can people not talk any more? Can meetings not be held?