SPRING 99

Preparing for Y2K

by Denise Østed

There’s been a lot of press lately about y2k survivalists, news reports which denigrate and mock people who are just trying to make sure that they and their families will be safe at the turn of the century. Now remember, nobody knows exactly how bad y2k will be, so nobody has any right to laugh at people who are preparing for a potential worst-case scenario. We literally don’t know what’s going to happen with y2k - whether it’ll be major, minor, or somewhere in between. Do your own research; look carefully at all aspects of the issue; decide what kind of preparation is appropriate for yourself and your own situation.

If you think through the enormity of the problem, and see how much work there is left to do in such a short time, you will very likely want to make sure you are prepared for any event. Here’s how to start planning. Your basic needs are going to be food, water, heat and shelter, health, and safety. Look at your daily life for a week and list all the things you can’t live without. Then start buying enough of that stuff to last you for as long as you think the y2k-related failures will last. The following lists can be truncated or expanded, depending on how severe you think the y2k-related failures will be.

Food

Decide how much food you want to have on hand in case of a breakdown in the supply chain. Get canned food, vacuum-packed food, freeze-dried food, with expiry dates past 2000. Every time you go grocery shopping, get some extra stuff, and store it in a cool, dry, dark place. White rice, dried beans, dried peas, and pasta will last for years if stored in sealed containers in a cool place. Don’t store any kind of food you don’t like - if you don’t like it now, you won’t like it later! Figure out how you’re going to cook if the electricity goes out, and what substitutes you can use for things like milk and eggs. Don’t forget comfort food, instant coffee, dehydrated milk, sugar, tea... If you or any members of your household have special dietary needs (infants, diabetics, etc.), plan for their diet as well.

Water

The best would be to install a hand-pump for drinking water in your own yard. If that’s not possible, wash and save your plastic pop bottles. A couple of months before 2000, fill them with tap water, add four drops of bleach per litre, and store them in a dark cool place. Don’t store them near anything poisonous (cleaning supplies, gasoline) because plastic is porous and the toxic fumes will get into the water. Count on about 4 litres of water per person per day for drinking and cooking.

Heat and Shelter

If the power goes out, it’s going to get very cold very fast in some parts of Canada. Make sure you have lots of candles - they heat a room up quickly. Block off one room as much as possible and stay there, to keep your body heat in one place. Another good trick is to line the walls with aluminium foil (shiny side facing to the room), which keeps reflecting the heat back at you. Stay bundled up, and don’t go outside unless you absolutely have to. Remember, though, that you do need at least some ventilation. Be very careful with heaters, because of the fumes.

Health

If medical supplies can’t be produced or shipped for a few weeks, you might be in trouble. If you are using prescription medicine, go to your doctor in October 1999 and tell her that you need a few extra months of medication (or whatever length of time you feel is necessary). If you wear glasses, get an extra pair. If you need any kind of surgery, have it done well in advance, so you’re completely recovered by the time 2000 rolls around. Get a really good first aid kit, and learn how to use it. If you get a lot of indigestion, stock up on antacids. If you get a lot of headaches, stock up on painkillers. Figure out what kind of health problems you have, and prepare for them. If you need condoms or you’re on the Pill, stock up. Sanitation will be very important. Make sure you have soap, bleach, disinfectant, rubber gloves, and lots of garbage bags.

Safety

Start thinking now about possible scenarios, and your ideal reaction to them. Think about what you would do if looters came to your house. If you’ve always wanted to get better locks on your doors, or bars on your windows, this is a good time to do it. If things get really bad, and your neighbours come to you for help, will you let them in or turn them away? If you let them in, do you have enough food for them? In the next issue, I’ll write about how communities can and are working together to face y2k.

Other Stuff

Toilet paper, tampons, paper plates and cups and cutlery. Razor blades, shampoo, deodorant, hand lotion, lighters and matches, batteries, books and cards for entertainment, toothpaste and dental floss, pet food, paper and pens and pencils, fire extinguishers, duct tape, vitamins, a couple of can openers (if the one you have breaks, how are you going to eat?), oil lamps and oil. If you can afford it, get a small generator and the fuel for it. If you think the problems will last until the summer or later, get bug spray, sunblock, blade sharpeners for your kitchen knives, non-hybrid seeds for your own vegetable garden, a bicycle and a bicycle repair kit.

Keep a stash of cash on hand. Your bank cards might not work because your bank might be down. If the banks are down, nobody is going to accept credit cards or personal cheques.

Some economists are saying that y2k will cause a global recession, or even a depression. That means higher prices, and potential shortages. If you’re worried about that, store some luxuries: spices, liqueurs, books, cigarettes, tools or supplies for your hobbies, etc. If the economy is adversely affected, and prices go up, you’ll be glad you got that stuff now.

The driving force behind preparation for y2k is do not assume anything. Don’t assume that everything will be okay simply because you can’t face the alternative. Don’t assume you’ll be able to pop down to the store for matches or other necessities. Don’t assume the best or the worst. Educate yourself and make appropriate plans. And if nothing happens, think of how low your grocery bills will be for the first few months of 2000!

Y2K Checklist
www.itsnet.com/~foodnow/y2kchecklist.htm

Individual Preparedness for Y2K
http://cassandraproject.org/sections/archive/site/Preparedness/indprep.html

Walton’s Self Reliance Pages
waltonfeed.com/self/default.htm

(Note: some of these sites are commercial; however, they also have good informational content. Their inclusion here does not constitute endorsement of their business.)

fullmoon@euronet.nl

In Our Next Issue:
Answering Your Questions About Y2K

If people e-mail me with y2k-related questions, I'll do my best to answer them in the next issue of Women’space

If you have questions or comments, please send them to:
Denise Østed
fullmoon@euronet.nl

Please send your requests by May 7th, 1999

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