the day after tomorrow

[jack sparrow]

Ok then a totally hyperthetical question, im sure a number of you have watched the film "the day after tomorrow", where parts of the world freezes because of the affect of global warming, well in thoery it is sumerised that if the sea was to get to diluted with fresh water, then the gulf stream that keeps the british isles from freezing, would stop working, the convere affect, and we would go into a deep freeze.

So to that end how would you try and survive and what preperation would you do in these conditions, if it was possible to?

YIS
JS

 

[madrussian]

You would have to live like people in Siberia. It would be the same climate. So I have heard.

 

[fred gordon]

The issue here might well be sustainability. That is, could you sustain your life in this part of the world for any appreciable time? As you would require a reliable, consistant, heat source and wood would not be available as all the trees you have limited choices. You could find a coal source and use that, you might be really lucky and find a supply of oil/gas from an easily avaible source, or, more likely migrate south. It looks as if this is what might have happened at the start of the last ice-age. I would imagine that all bets would be off as regards modern technology. Where would you get spare parts if things broke? Where would you get fuel as heat would be an essential element if temperatures fell to the levels in the film? Depressing challenge

 

[gregorach]

Even if it did happen (which is highly unlikely according to the best scientific understanding currently available), it's physically impossible for it to happen at anything like the speed I believe is depicted in the film.

It's a bit like asking how would you survive if aliens invaded, like in "Mars Attacks!"...

 

[fred gordon]

Even if it did happen (which is highly unlikely according to the best scientific understanding currently available), it's physically impossible for it to happen at anything like the speed I believe is depicted in the film.

It's a bit like asking how would you survive if aliens invaded, like in "Mars Attacks!"...

You mean 'Mars Attacks!' wasn't real? Oh damn what a bummer!

 

[jack sparrow]

I never imaged for one minute it could happen, but have watched a few docs on the idea, and since this site is about survival and bushcraft i just thought it might get people thinking of how they could use the skills they have learnt to survive.

YIS
JS

 

[British Red]

I'd live on a farm with a 300 foot well, 600 acres of mature timber, open fires, deer, partridge, pheasant, rabbit, hares etc.

I'd then invite Bushwacker Bob to pop up to do all the real Bushcafting whilst I stayed warm by the fire.

Oh...hang on thats real life

Theres a lot of fun to be had in such thinking - the crossovers between green initiatives, Bushcraft, survival and downshifting are huge!

We plan the next place (in a couple of years) to be completely "off grid" - more for cost, ecological and long term cost reasons than anything "End of the World" - but its nice knowing you aren't reliant on anyone else, or subject to the vagaries of fuel prices

As for the Bushcraft stuff - try heating your home all Winter on fuel you cut, split and stacked yourself. It certainly explains my obsession with timber tools!

Red

 

[gregorach]

Well, as a purely hypothetical question then...

The big problem with a rapid, massive freeze is that the flora and fauna don't have time to adapt - so many of the survival strategies used by artic peoples are going to be out, since the necessary resources wouldn't be available. I think about your only chance would be to head out onto the sea ice and try and make a living from fishing and hunting marine mammals.

 

[hammock monkey]

a huge change in our suroundings is unlikely for us as has been said, but as we see so often on the news etc it happens to a lot of people everyday. last night there was a feature on the 'Katrina' events, and the carnage that ensues when people miss 3 meals in a row. human nature pretty basic underneath the thin veneer in my opinion.

It definately is part of the reason that i enjoy reading up on survival etc (97% because its helpful to nature observation, 3% 'just in case') but, as we've all found, there is so much more to it. effectively leading to a much more fulfilling lifestyle.

Migration once the calamtiy had calmed down would be my answer. loot until i'm sorted then head off in search of better climes. in a big freeze like that film tho, going to the library and burning all the tax records seems like a wonderful idea!

 

[Butchd]

Oh damn.... <quietly assassinates BR and assumes his identity>. I'd love that, but I haven't yet talked the boss into it. Mind you I like the idea of the timber for fires next winter. Gives me time to try and find a source of timber.

I'd live on a farm with a 300 foot well, 600 acres of mature timber, open fires, deer, partridge, pheasant, rabbit, hares etc.

I'd then invite Bushwacker Bob to pop up to do all the real Bushcafting whilst I stayed warm by the fire.

Oh...hang on thats real life

Theres a lot of fun to be had in such thinking - the crossovers between green initiatives, Bushcraft, survival and downshifting are huge!

We plan the next place (in a couple of years) to be completely "off grid" - more for cost, ecological and long term cost reasons than anything "End of the World" - but its nice knowing you aren't reliant on anyone else, or subject to the vagaries of fuel prices

As for the Bushcraft stuff - try heating your home all Winter on fuel you cut, split and stacked yourself. It certainly explains my obsession with timber tools!

Red

 

[oldsoldier]

We have that weather every winter!!! We actually had one of the driest, coldest winters on record this past year. The human body, well, atr least mine, adapts to the cold after a bit. Not completely, mind you, but you get used to being chilly. As far as heat & shelter goes, I think communal living would be best. Easiest to heat. Of course, you have to find like minded individuals...

 

[Greg]

I've always wanted to move to warmer climes!

But on a serious note, I know that it is practically impossible that nothing like this will happen in our life times, but if and when it does then it will most probably happen over a long period of time.
Because of the way the world is going is one of the reasons that I decided to learn Bushcraft and Survival so that I can teach my son, and hopefully he will pass on to his children when he is older.
This way I will know that what ever happens at least my family would be able to find a way to live if the worst ever happens. But most obviously I just want my family to Know how to be prepared for what ever happens during there life times too.

 

[big_swede]

Ok then a totally hyperthetical question, im sure a number of you have watched the film "the day after tomorrow", where parts of the world freezes because of the affect of global warming, well in thoery it is sumerised that if the sea was to get to diluted with fresh water, then the gulf stream that keeps the british isles from freezing, would stop working, the convere affect, and we would go into a deep freeze.

So to that end how would you try and survive and what preperation would you do in these conditions, if it was possible to?

YIS
JS

The claim that the gulf stream (or north atlantic drift as it is properly called, the gulf stream ends in cape hatteras) will end or weaken is based on some really crude numerical models. The (older) models assumes a lot of unlikely things, amongst them that the coasts are completely vertical, and that the ocean consists of two layers. And I just recently read a ph.d thesis that discusses the subject. I could spend hours discussing the older inadequate models, visavi the thesis in question, and the models it suggests, but I have chicken in the oven, so I will just summarize it:

With more realistic boundary conditions, and a higher spatial and temporal resolution, modern models show that it is must unlikely that the north atlantic drift will be slowed down in the event of heavy freshwater dilution.

Relax, ok?

 

[Carcajou Garou]

This almost instant freezing may have already happened in the Siberian tundra where mammoths have been found frozen with vegetation still in their mouths. Never had a chance to swallow? The meat and ivory has been available for years on markets in Siberia.
We have seen localized cellular weather of the same genre but not to the same intensity, the weather is still fairly stable who can say in the future or in the past if conditions where not right for such events?

 

[Nyayo]

OK - if we're playing with 'What If?' scenarios, what about 'What if big global warming kicks in, the ice-caps melt, the permafrost decays and the benthic methane deposits give up their CO2 store?' (i.e. massive spike in global temperature - Africa dies, Europe gets a North African climate with massive Chaotic global weather patterns). What do we do then? Head North, presumably avoiding all the military/state forces that will try to 'redistribute' land? Head for the hills and become latter-day Apaches?
N

 

[desert_emperor]

OK - if we're playing with 'What If?' scenarios, what about 'What if big global warming kicks in, the ice-caps melt, the permafrost decays and the benthic methane deposits give up their CO2 store?' (i.e. massive spike in global temperature - Africa dies, Europe gets a North African climate with massive Chaotic global weather patterns). What do we do then? Head North, presumably avoiding all the military/state forces that will try to 'redistribute' land? Head for the hills and become latter-day Apaches?
N

I really hate it when that happens!!! Lol

 

[gregorach]

Stake a claim in Antarctica!

 

[Eric_Methven]

If something like that really did happen, even over a longer period, ten or twenty years, we'd all be stuffed! Apart from massive crop failure, most of the wild and domesticated meat animals wouldn't survive. Migration south would be attempted, but most certainy would be met with hostility. Such a scenario would pre-empt world war three. It wouldn't just be the Brits trying to get into France and beyond, it'd be the French trying to get into the Med. The Canadians would swamp America on their way to Mexico and the Yanks would get there first anyway.

No 'safe' country could absorb mass migration from the north. The best plan would be to hunker down, keep your heads down and have as much fun as you can in the short time you have left.

Maybe invite a tall blonde with a big chest to share your log cabin in the woods.

(The tall blonde could even be from Sweden and his big chest could be full of whisky!)

Eric

 

[capacious]

I hope you all realise that the day after tomorrow is a truly rediculous film, and that nearly everything that happens in it is actually IMPOSSIBLE, not just improbable. It's just a tool used to push people into believing that the world is coming to an end (did anyone watch the latest wife swap? HILARIOUS! ). The effects of global warming are miniscule and will happen over a timescale of hundreds, if not thousands of years. What is put forward by the media (and this includes any programmes shown on BBC, even those hosted by David Attenborough) are all EXTREME examples of what MIGHT happen. All the climate changes that have been seen since the industrial revolution have all happened before - and will happen again. And the last time it happened, it wasn't man who caused it (it was about 400,000 years before man first walked) - just as it isn't man who is causing it now.

Trust me - I'm doing a degree in climatology

Besides...it's a really c**p film with spectacularly awful acting, even more spectacularly awful CGI and a lame story line. And what's up with the rabid wolves? :bluThinki

Jake

 

[Greg]

I hope you all know the day after tomorrow is Sunday!