If you are going to BLACKOUT for longer than a couple of hours,
please make sure you consider the following items :-
1. Food
You will need to have supplies of vegetable and fruit at home,
together with other longer storage provisions.
Under a BLACKOUT you will not want to waste precious resources
travelling anywhere to shop for food.
If you grow some of your own food at home, that's excellent.
Please also remember that during a real, live BLACKOUT, your
cooker, stove and electrical appliances would not be working,
so think about having some food that you have already cooked
before the BLACKOUT begins.
Preserves in glass jars are a useful backup. Fresh vegetable salad
is fine BLACKOUT cuisine.
2. Travel
Under BLACKOUT conditions, you probably won't be driving
anywhere.
Think about how you are going to get around on foot, by bicycle
and on public transportation (mass transit).
Have you got enough cash and tickets to travel ?
Do you know the routes ?
3. Hot Water
Make sure you take a shower before the BLACKOUT starts, because
your personal Carbon Budget will probably not extend to running
a gas boiler for hot water, nor an electric shower pump.
Reserve fresh water in clean containers for use throughout the day
for food preparation and washing.
If you pour cold water into containers the night before, it will be
relatively tepid by the time you want to use it, not freezing like
normal mains/utility water supplies.
4. Heating & Cooling
If you want to live within your Fair Carbon Share for the day,
under no account use any electric or natural gas central heating.
Wear extra clothes at home to make up for any cold spell outside.
If it's a hot day, do not be tempted to turn on any air conditioning.
5. Lighting
Under a genuine power BLACKOUT you would not be able to have any
electric light at home, and none or your electrical machines would
work.
That includes refrigerators, freezers, natural gas boilers, any
cooking appliances, electric showers, televisions, hands-free
telephones, computers.
The most important thing is lighting, so make sure you have
powered up your recyclable batteries for your flashlight torch.
Make sure you have a supply of candles and matches - but be careful.
With the power out, your fire or smoke alarm system might not be
working if it's wired into the house main electricity supply.
6. Shopping
Don't do any. You probably won't be able to stay inside your personal
fair and equal Carbon Share for the day if you buy any goods made
by manufactured processes, or transported around the world.
7. Fun
Make sure you have built into your plans some social event, a gathering,
or a face to face meeting.
You are going to spend quite a few hours without doing much really, so
it would be good to fill it with catching up with your friends and
neighbours.
Or make sure you have some unread books lined up to read. Or a wind-up
radio.
Why not take a walk around the district where you are. Marvel at any
growing thing.
Cycle somewhere interesting.
Think about the future quietness in a Carbon-constrained world.
Watch the stars.
Sleep deeply.
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