Heard this on the radio, thought it might provoke some thought and discussion:
http://the-knowledge.org/en-gb/
http://the-knowledge.org/en-gb/
The Knowledge: How to rebuild our world from scratch
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Would have been nice of him to show us how to light a fire with a plastic bottle.
The title "HOW TO REBUILD OUR WORLD FROM SCRATCH" is a bit missleading, as its not about from scratch its about scavenging and using stuff that the world has left behind. If it was building from scratch he would have plants, animals, rocks and water to work with not ferro rods, tin cans and boxes of matches. Its a nice idea but I dont see anything there that not all ready been done in bushcrafty books, Walking dead or survival guides.
The title "HOW TO REBUILD OUR WORLD FROM SCRATCH" is a bit missleading, as its not about from scratch its about scavenging and using stuff that the world has left behind. If it was building from scratch he would have plants, animals, rocks and water to work with not ferro rods, tin cans and boxes of matches. Its a nice idea but I dont see anything there that not all ready been done in bushcrafty books, Walking dead or survival guides.
Indeed - I've tried many to times to complete a process from scratch - its very hard for example to make granulated sugar from scratch. I managed to make granulated sugar - but I certainly didn't mine the ore or refine the steel to make the pan.
I got the impression (rightly or wrongly)that the author of the book was some one who put the book together from googleing various subjects and editing it into a nice arm chair book. I did not get the impression he was a hardcore survivalist or someone who has spent much time roughing it or out in the bush. I could be however very wrong... I am just talking about my impressions.
How to make-do with stuff lying about to survive the aftermath of a post-apoclyptic society as he puts it would be of far less concern than the threat of the mob, people would kill each other over that tin of custard before it ever got opened. You only have to see how people panic buy when there is even just a temporary shortage through strikes etc. and how the profiteers move in.
I think the book takes a scientific approach, for example he talks about the need for man to use pot ash and other byproducts of fire... and the need to manufacture lime in large quantity.
If civilisation collapses, would it be likely to return? For example, the mines that we currently operate are dependent upon a high level of technology to function. Easily extractable minerals are all gone.
To some extent scavenging materials in recycleable form might be possible. However we've managed to spread a lot of that material very thinly around the world so it may be impractical to extract, say, the copper from circuitboards, for example (and the technology to do so may be lacking). I think any surviving humans are going to be trapped at a pre-mediaeval subsistence level at best.
To some extent scavenging materials in recycleable form might be possible. However we've managed to spread a lot of that material very thinly around the world so it may be impractical to extract, say, the copper from circuitboards, for example (and the technology to do so may be lacking). I think any surviving humans are going to be trapped at a pre-mediaeval subsistence level at best.
I am nor so sure, some places when there is a disaster then mobs pop up and there is looting and all sorts of criminal activity, in other places (ie Japan) they have a disaster and there is very little looting and people tend to pull together and work out how to survive. I think it boils down to where you live, IMHO an inner city is far more likely to become more violent that say rural villages or farming communities. Humans fair better when working together... the mob might rear its ugly head but other people will eventually pull together and beat them back.
If the cost/benefit ratio of mining rubbish dumps was good enough to make it worthwhile, they'd be the mines of the now!
In most situations, when there is a disaster, people pull together. Take New York when the hurricane hit. New Orleans, Haiti are examples of chaotic responses to authorities more concerned with policing rather than distributing aid - and that's more of a result of authorities collectively not believing that civilisation is possible without them to keep order - and their attempts to 'keep order' resulting in confrontation. I think the exception to this is war zones, for fairly obvious reasons.
Just what I though and why do we need a EOTWAWKI 2 minute Youtube clip to show you how to open a can of Bean when it could simply be a look you can open this even if you've forgotten your can opener - I have enough drama in my life I dont need more...
I think some of the how to videos are good on their own merits - being able to turn an old washing machine into energy independence is a great plan any day of the week. Why wait?
Part of the reason I have decided to get back into bushcraft activities was a wish to be able to write a similar sort of guide. Not for any commercial point of view, just as a bit of personal fun - If dropped into the middle of nowhere, could you survive, thrive and colonise from knowledge alone?
One thing is obvious from the start though: Knowledge and skills are very different things. The first is virtually useless without the second.
One thing is obvious from the start though: Knowledge and skills are very different things. The first is virtually useless without the second.
