17 ms·
I've been doing some thinking along these lines and I always end up with the realization that if most infrastructure around you is down, there isn't that much y
by jwr 7y ago
I've been doing some thinking along these lines and I always end up with the realization that if most infrastructure around you is down, there isn't that much you can do with electrical power in the amounts that could be available.
I mean, you can get light when it's dark, and possibly run a refrigerator from a solar installation, but otherwise what would you use the electricity for? Not for heating, not for transportation (not enough of it), your cell phones and other computer devices won't be of much use without the network anyway. Perhaps if you have portable radios you could charge them, but otherwise — what?
My conclusion was that we've become alarmingly dependent on infrastructure. I decided to get some maps, old-style paper books, and started considering getting radios and tiny solar panels to re-charge them.
- dTal 7y agoSame things we do now. Lighting, yes. Communication. Power tools. Pumps. Winches. Automation. GPS should last a good while too.
- cheschire 7y agoA lot of those heavier duty things you mention require three phase power, which is very difficult and expensive to handle independently without the grid to support you.
- dTal 7y agoDo they really require it? Or do they just currently use it because it's convenient with the grid? In an off-grid scenario, you probably wouldn't use AC power for anything. DC motors will serve perfectly well for the "heavy duty" applications.
- rabidrat 7y agoLight and refrigeration were the earliest uses of electricity. Add simple communication (radio transmission/reception), and that's enough to keep you going for quite awhile.
- ecpottinger 7y agoI don't use computers to communicate as much as others. Mostly to pay movies and anime I have stored away. Basically, after people work all day to live I will be the entertainment center.