The Environmental Protection Agency says it has a plan to address problems with water infrastructure and sanitation for Native American communities. The EPA will work with the National Tribal Water Council to address inequities in access to indoor plumbing and safe drinking water. Scores of millions of dollars of grants for these projects are ready
Long Beach is permitting the stacking of shipping containers 4- or even 5-high. This is a dangerous but probably necessary practice employed at this time to decongest economy-ruining backlogs: We’re already in a fertilizer crunch (prices hit a record high a few weeks ago), and then there’s this: A ransomware war is being waged right
It’s fall here in the northern hemisphere, and not only are the leaves falling from the trees, but dead sticks and branches as well. You can use those to improve your gardens and reduce your dependency on the supply chain. Leaves make incredible mulch. Will Bonsall, author of Will Bonsall’s Essential Guide to Radical, Self-Reliant
Benton Harbor is now completely without water. A water main burst. Michigan is hoping to replace the failing lead water pipes in the next 18 months. Zillow has decided to stop gobbling up so many residential properties in the US because logistics and labor problems are making it too difficult to flip the properties quickly.
Radio waves are the only real way to communicate when the grid goes down. Voice communication is one thing, but what about text messaging and emails? Until fast and reliable satellite internet becomes commonplace — such as SpaceX’s exciting Starlink service — where local on-the-ground emergencies won’t be nearly as disruptive, most people are still
If you’ve ever considered using a ham radio without a license, you’ve probably also reconsidered out of fear that the FCC or some angry ham would track you down and show up at your door. How do they do that? More: Beginner’s guide to ham radio Radio direction-finding is a real thing, and ham radio
Tennessee gets hit by billion-dollar natural disasters multiple times per year and repeatedly racks up some of the largest disaster bills in the country. Tennessee is northerly enough to get severe winter weather and southerly enough to get hit by tropical storms, too. Speaking of severe winter weather—this winter will cost us. Gas bills are
The people of Benton Harbor, Michigan have been told not to drink their tap water for at least three years because of lead contamination. The water is not safe for drinking, bathing, or cooking. The state is expanding free water distribution in the city but critics of the slow response say it’s too little, too
With the supply chain eroding and no improvement in sight, more people are stocking up their survival pantries. But once you have so many pounds of rice, beans, and canned goods, you eventually have to eat them. Rice and beans may be a complete meal, but even with all the spices in the world, they
The startup Terraformation recently raised $30M as part of its quest to solve the climate crisis by rapidly reforesting 3 billion acres — which is more land than the entire US! Founder Yishan Wong, the former CEO of Reddit and an early employee at Facebook and PayPal, talked with us about his new project and
Xi says China is going to unify with Taiwan, adding that he wants a peaceful reunification. Taiwan is not on board with this sentiment. Solar prices are still dropping and solar utilization continues to grow. Some good news among the pounding of the scarcity drums. California and Texas are leading the solar charge in the
Fertilizer prices are soaring, and this is bad news for food production and food prices. The 2022 growing season is at serious risk if nothing is done to shore up fertilizer production. India is running scant on the coal it relies on to run its power companies. 70% of the countries electrical output depends on
Lately, we’ve been focused on supply chain issues here at The Prepared, and a common recommendation is to invest in resilient hand tools that are durable, easily repaired, and don’t require electricity or fuel. One old-school tool most people don’t think about much anymore is the scythe, which is a long wooden handle (called a
The US is having to temporarily suspend international delivery of mail and parcels to New Zealand and a few other countries as it lacks the needed air transportation. Australia and Samoa are also impacted. Expect price increases on chicken and tomatoes (and maybe even some barer shelves) in the upcoming months. Diapers may also be
Taxis in Thailand have been repurposed as giant planter boxes in our weird, post-COVID world. Hey, when life gives you [no use for taxis because tourism plummeted], you make [gardens]. An almost $6 million ransomware attack on an Iowa-based farming cooperative could badly impact grain production and feed needed for over 11 million farm animals.
