If the power went out, and stayed that way, would you be screwed for work?

Les_the_Sarge_9_1 · Post by **Les_the_Sarge_9_1** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 7:51 pm

Just curious, seems like a lot of power outages invading life the last while.

The fires in BC trashing the infastructure.

The big blackout.

The trashing of Nova Scotia by weather.

If the power went out, and just wasn't coming back, I mean because of some reeeeeeeally permanent disaster (yeah I know unlikely, but it matters for purposes of this notional thread guys), what would you be capable of doing?

I ask, because I saw a thread concerning unemployment elsewhere in net land, and it made me think.
Mostly because most of the comments there (on the other thread) seemed to be all from guys who make their living entirely based on computerised existences.

If the power went out, I would not be totally up the creek myself.

Life would suddenly be a major burden of course (I would miss toilet paper which requires a conveniently power dependent industry to operate smoothly).

But fortunately I have a lot of non electricity driven skills. I have skill with hand tools in wood working (although health would make that more a supervisory role to be realistic hehe).
I have an extensive background in damned near every science and history, so I would likely end up teaching (no I don't have a fancy piece of paper on the wall, you either want to hire me or you don't).

What would you have to/could do to earn a living, if you had to do it by hand sans power?
And yes design wargames ie board games counts hehe.

Wallenstein · Post by **Wallenstein** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 9:37 pm

Hmm...things would look not too bright for me - I´m working in software development/maintenance.
But let me think....yes, I think I have an idea:
I am very talented in going out with dogs, and there are plenty of them in the neighbourhood...

Huskalator · Post by **Huskalator** » Sun Oct 05, 2003 2:23 am

I would use my wargaming experience to lead the Mutant Alliance to victory.

Les_the_Sarge_9_1 · Post by **Les_the_Sarge_9_1** » Sun Oct 05, 2003 6:28 am

Heheh my heart goes out to the tech dependent.

Funniest thing a friend ever told me, if he had 1 hour to grab and run before leaving town for the boonies because the world had come to an end sort of thing (atypical scenario where civilization takes a hit to the groin), he would likely grab me as a valuable possession.

I have a lot of normally very dull information between my ears he figures would rapidly become useful real soon.

By the way, I have absolutely no IT skills whatsoever.

joki · Post by **joki** » Mon Oct 06, 2003 5:33 pm

I would not be screwed !!! I work at a nuclear powerplant and it can deliver the power for internal use. In the long term I might be out of work because there is no one to deliver to.....

Jonas

Les_the_Sarge_9_1 · Post by **Les_the_Sarge_9_1** » Mon Oct 06, 2003 5:52 pm

Ahh interesting comment.

But the question is of course what would you do if the power indeed went out, in a global perspective.

True the nuke plant would seem well off.

But remember, that plant is not a world onto itself eh.

Picture all the things the plant needs to exist.

Workers being the first. No power means they can't realistically get to you all that easy eh.
Workers arrive by vehicle. Vehicles powered by gas, Gas coming from gas stations, which have no power to operate pumps. Which would be empty because no one was arriving to refresh their supply. Because the oil refineries could not get the supplies to them, because the roads were unavailable.

As you can see, it gets messy real fast without power.

Sure there would be some interesting pockets where smart people would rapidly realise something had to be done and quick.

Question is, how would you fit into the suddenly very different landscape?

Raverdave · Post by **Raverdave** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 10:43 am

Well I'd be stuffed as well, I work in Telecommuncations and without power there woul............wait a minute, tin cans and string ! Smoke signals! Heilographs! (Did I spell that right?) Muuhauuuha

11b10 · Post by **11b10** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 7:00 am

Les the Sarge 9-1 -

You have got to be kidding..you have already told us on other forums that you don`t work and collect money from the Govt..so why besides not being able to play war games on your computer would a national power outage hurt you?

P.S. What`s this strange thing you have with the lack of toliet paper..never heard of leaves?

Firefly · Post by **Firefly** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 10:45 am

The world is so dependent on electricity that we'd probably be all dead witin days, either from thirst or cholera as the water supply gives out. That's if we aren't killed by the wreckage of falling aircraft when the ATC systems fail.

Any more cheerful thoughts Les?

Les_the_Sarge_9_1 · Post by **Les_the_Sarge_9_1** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 5:20 pm

What 11b10 fails to recognise (which doesn't surprise me as he fails in so many other ways to numerous to count), is that I am disabled and on a pension, which means yes I am currently at the mercy of the government and all that goes with it.

But if tomorrow the power was to go out, forever, just for the sake of argument, it is entirely likely that a lot of societies indulgences just wouldn't work any more, including pensions.

Which would mean I would need a new means of survival. And yes survival is exactly the word I was looking for.

On the downside, my disability would not magically disappear. And a days work would have exactly the effect on me it would have. And life would be a real hell some days for me.

On the plus side, if the world became a place where survival mattered, and not petty paper pushing bureacracy, then I would not likely need 6 years of teachers college to prove I actually can teach. I would either be capable through proving it, or I would have to do something else, or die trying essentially.

I mention toilet paper, because it is my one fondness of technology eh. And I know the difference between economy toilet tissue and leaves for one thing.

Feel free to interject further comments 11b10, but if the best you can do is insert put downs, do us all a favour and get lost to where you came from.

11b10 · Post by **11b10** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 3:37 am

Les the Sarge 9-1 -

quote-

"I mention toilet paper, because it is my one fondness of technology eh. And I know the difference between economy toilet tissue and leaves for one thing."

Haaaaa....Haaaaa..I like you Less, your a funny man even when you don`t mean to be...hehe...

brent_2 · Post by **brent_2** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 5:27 am

Les the Sarge 9-1 wrote:the difference between economy toilet tissue and leaves for one thing.

Yeah... sometimes leaves would be a better choice

Zakhal · Post by **Zakhal** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 9:30 am

Well theres a really good book how to live in wild here. I allready know few of the tips but better if i had the book. You can actually (i.e) make bread out of trees during the right season. Not that it tastes good but...

Not to forget coffee, marmelade, etc...everything is there. You just need the know-how. And we got plenty of fish and wildanimals in our ponds, lakes and forests that are pretty much endless here.

Our national rations are only for two months of worth but thats another thing...(it gets rather complicated here i wont bother explain but we would surely be okay)

You can eat the white parts of your newspaper. (actually just one, one generation back they did eat them, makes one think)

drdespair · Post by **drdespair** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 12:55 pm

I find this paranoid understanding of a world without electicity quite ammusing, I dont need to say that there is still quite a nice percentage number of people living in the world without electricity, or at least not a constant supply of it, and strangely there is no panic there, or lack off work. 1st of all.. I cant immagine any situation short of the fantastic that would cause all electricity to disappear indefinetly. And is the case that it does, its not like you dont have your brain, and is most cases arms and legs to help you out with finding a job, because without electricity, demand for man or woman

power will increase dramaticaly. Mass production for most things will be finished.. maybe some factories could continue to work on hydrolics and vapor/steam power, but that would take time to set up. The small crafts man will flurish as people will continue to need the basics, oh and lets not forget the farmers, actualy thats where you should go looking for work, they will need it. Large cities will diminish in size as quite a large portion of the population will move back to the country side since cities will no longer be able to support the kind of populations they do now.

Les_the_Sarge_9_1 · Post by **Les_the_Sarge_9_1** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 4:52 pm

Good points drdespair (gotta laugh at your logic considering your name though hehe).

But yeah, plenty of places on the planet don't use power.

But 21st century North America sure is trapped into using it eh.

I often wonder if the word "progress" is actually appropriate. For every benefit progress has given us, it has created two hassles to endure in order to enjoy that benefit it seems.

nelmsm1 · Post by **nelmsm1** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 5:34 pm

Since I am trained as an agronomist and my wife is pretty good with horses so I guess we would get to find out how the Amish farm.

riverbravo · Post by **riverbravo** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 7:27 pm

bicycle generators,like the Vietnamese used in their tunnel complexes.

tiredoftryingnames · Post by **tiredoftryingnames** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 8:27 pm

There are probably alot of people that could better answer this question, but they have no power and cannot log on to answer.

11b10 · Post by **11b10** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 6:28 am

Les the Sarge 9-1-

quote-

"I mention toilet paper, because it is my one fondness of technology eh. And I know the difference between economy toilet tissue and leaves for one thing."

Corncobs also work well...

Les_the_Sarge_9_1 · Post by **Les_the_Sarge_9_1** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 8:26 am

I would ask 11b10 what he figured his purpose on the forum was, but I would grow old waiting for an answer, and he still wouldn't have one to offer.

Now he might be able to cut and paste someone else's comments, but then I suppose even a monkey can be trained to do that much.