Is "preparedness" a state of mind?

[Toddy]

Well, yesterday was a good test of my water preps. The water coming out of my cold tap looked like someone had peed in the glass! Reported it to wessex water, and got my stored water out and managed to carry on. Just as well I had water stored as the co op was down to one bottle when I went in late pm.
Did a 30 min flush of the system, seems OK now, but still using my stored water untill I know what it was.
Have asked for my tap water to be tested before I resume drinking it.

Ours still goes whisky coloured on occasion. It's very rare now, but it does happen when the upland reservoir (way up on the Lanarkshire moors) gets flooded with peat runoff.
Supposedly they add alum to flocculate the peat particles before they hit the screens, but sometimes....
it's harmless, just washing needs redone and there can be tide lines around sinks, toilets, etc., Bleach scrubs it off just fine

 

[Woody girl]

Ours still goes whisky coloured on occasion. It's very rare now, but it does happen when the upland reservoir (way up on the Lanarkshire moors) gets flooded with peat runoff.
Supposedly they add alum to flocculate the peat particles before they hit the screens, but sometimes....
it's harmless, just washing needs redone and there can be tide lines around sinks, toilets, etc., Bleach scrubs it off just fine

I've never had discoloured water in the 25 yrs I've lived here. The reservoir that supplies me isn't in a peaty area. It looked greenish, like urine. . Nasty!
I know we've had a fair bit of rain recently, but I've known it far worse and no discolouration at all.
And yes I'm applying for a flushing licence.

 

[Toddy]

That sounds utterly horrible...but what is a 'flushing licence' ?

We just run the cold tap until the water clears.

 

[Keith_Beef]

An article on the Grauniad website yesterday: https://www.theguardian.com/comment...stockpiles-europe-supply-chains-fuel-reserves

 

[TeeDee]

An article on the Grauniad website yesterday: https://www.theguardian.com/comment...stockpiles-europe-supply-chains-fuel-reserves

"Finland’s food self-sufficiency rate is around 80%. "

Anyone know what the UK self sufficiency rate is?

 

[Broch]

"Finland’s food self-sufficiency rate is around 80%. "

Anyone know what the UK self sufficiency rate is?

A little over 60% according to some sources.

 

[Herman30]

Heretic!!!

I would like to have spam but it is nowhere to be found in my country, not even on webshops.

 

[grainweevil]

I would like to have spam but it is nowhere to be found in my country, not even on webshops.

Console yourself, Herman, and consider this: Maybe that's why Finland keeps getting ranked as the happiest country in the world.

 

[TeeDee]

Console yourself, Herman, and consider this: Maybe that's why Finland keeps getting ranked as the happiest country in the world.

I can only imagine something was lost in the translation of 'happy' into Finnish when this census was done.

 

[TLM]

I can only imagine something was lost in the translation of 'happy' into Finnish when this census was done.

As usual, all the connotations were brutally ripped off.

 

[Keith_Beef]

As usual, all the connotations were brutally ripped off.

Do you mean consonants?

 

[Chris]

Remember to claim back a flushing allowance from Wessex Water, if you’re on a water meter - usually a fiver I think off your bill. We’ve done it a few times due to water interruptions since we moved to the SW.

See: Linky

I wasn’t aware this was a thing, thanks for sharing.

 

[TLM]

Do you mean consonants?

I think I actually got that right and "happy" is "onnellinen" in finnish so more consonants there. ("onnellinen" apparently is a derivation of "having luck")

 

[Glow_worm]

A little over 60% according to some sources.

And the vast majority of that is utterly dependant on artificial fertilisers, roughly 40% made here and the bulk of the other 60% from Eastern Europe. Massively energy intensive to produce and transport.

The US imports enormous quantities from Russia ($1.3 billion last year), if that cuts cut off by either side there will be a massive global shortfall.

 

[Falstaff]

Just had a quick peer at the last UK Govt food security report and critiques - not great. They are still trying to claim 60%, but will be diffcult to achieve, and afyter UK food expeort it drops to 56%.
What makes me laugh is that they suggest that because our food comes from 42 different countries the supply chain is secure.
It takes no account that all the countries require the same critical production resources - gas/petrochem and fertilisers. The bulk of which all come from the same places - mainly Russia. (I think Gloworm's UK figure now requires gas from Russia to make the UK fertiliser ?)
If there is a problem, e.g. like Covid or, Russia/China take their toys home and won't play, the UK will be at the back of the queque. Countries will look after their own first and sell/barter to the highest bidder (the USD).

 

[Glow_worm]

And ever more UK farmland disappearing to housing, solar panels, 'rewilding', with an ever increasing population.

Sit back and watch the attempts to increase yields by even more unsustainable and fragile/vulnerable methods.

 

[Falstaff]

I see they are now slowly realising that if they make the solar panels higher, they can grow a limited range of crops underneath. That costs a bit more in metal so greed outweighs other considerations unless the Govt bungs even more money at them, and, requires it to be done.
I do not understand how the ex-Housing Minister, being a (relatively) northern lass, does not understand the impact of building houses on agricultural land.

 

[Glow_worm]

I still haven't seen good arguments against siting solar panels along railway lines with suitable aspects, or research into the number of agricultural/industrial roofs which are nude...

 

[Falstaff]

I still haven't seen good arguements against siting solar panels along railway lines with suitable aspects, or research into the number of agricultural/industrial roofs which are nude...

I do know a few reasons against railway lines but the roofs I think it is just about the cost vs return if you're not in the electrical generation business.

The main railway one is because of access and the risk of line blockage due to panel damage, be that vandalism, cable theft or natural weather.
Along most railway lines are the nation's broadband and communications infastructure cabling backbone. Any disturbance or damage of those is a very expensive big deal. Generally they do not require any maintenance or access.
Access along any railway is always a big deal and takes a lot of careful planning, even for accidents and suicides (my mate was a signalman, who used to have to literally walk any train thru any incident). There is also a lot of staff training and certs etc. Adding extra solar panel access etc is a step too far and too crowded.
Re roofs, the capital outlay is usually beyond most, and getting a decent grid sale price poor. The good prices have now all gone. A lot of the industrial units are leaseheld, and the landlords have no interest in further investment for a poor return, but will take all or part of any income earnt by a tenant installing it. Somebody I know well is in the generator business and also owns several business parks. If it was worthwhile he would have done it. This also sadly applies to tenanted social/council housing - I looked into it where I lived and the council would own the electricity contract and pay back only a pittance to the tenant.

 

[Glow_worm]

Various interesting things are in progress in Europe involving solar on railways- we'll see what it comes to.

I wasn't suggesting roofs being used for private/business gain, more that any new builds with suitable orientation ought to have panels and small scale grid connections rather than large installations swallowing farmland. More to maintain, but more resilient to sabbotage.