Climate Proofing your Life
Being Safe is being Prepared
West Kelowna on Fire with downtown Kelowna in foreground, August 2023, where 2 of my daughters live
The Climate Emergency is getting personal. Life has always been dangerous. Ask your ancestor as he/she was living in a cave as saber tooth tiger was outside growling. So the fact that life is becoming more dangerous again can be seen as simply a return to “normal”. We have been lulled into a false sense of security and safety and worse, turned into consumers of everything who are incapable of what previous generations would have considered basic skills like repairing and building things you rely on & growing and preserving your own food. Well, based upon the extreme weather events we have seen around the world the post WWII times of stability are over. Take note, I am not saying this is “bad” – it just is. In fact, I think that having people feel that they are not helpless and take control over more of their lives could be a good thing.
How dare I say that? Well, I just returned from a vacation on the north shore of Quebec, Havre-Saint-Pierre, which is close to Labrador. Up there people did not even have roads until 1976 and had to rely upon their wits and friends and hard work to get by. They didn’t whine, they just did what they had to do to survive in a very, very harsh climate with minimal resources. Well, we can do the same and become as tough and resilient and community minded as they were. So, rather than see these adaptions as a traumatic event that is “unfair” because previous generations inflicted upon us [although this is true – it is not helpful in any way] we can do the best we can to adapt to the Climate Changed world that is not upon on. As you do so, I want to start with the physological aspects of climate proofing for without the right frame of mind and heart most of us get quickly over whelmed, anxious and depressed.
Want to be psychologically prepared for an extreme weather event or power failure? Begin with realizing that Trauma is not the event, it is your response to the event. Now, if you are skeptical, I get it. I though this statement was so much — when I first heard it, but now, after having experienced some nastiness in life, I see the truth in it. So, how do not allow an external climate event, like a fire or flood or tornado, to become emotional trauma that wrecks our lives? We acknowledge that disasters are, sadly, a normal part of the human experience. We have a strong social network to support us. We prepare physically for it. We learn skills that make us feel more in control of lives. We work on developing the ability to keep calm in the face of stressful events that happen every day and stop blaming others when things go off the rails. Basically, we become the person we would want to have around us when the ‘shit hits the fan’. So, now that have that point clarified, here are some excellent resources to read to help your climate proof your life.
Psychological preparation for natural disasters from Australia
Being psychologically prepared when a disaster is threatening can help people feel more confident,
more in control and better able to make effective emergency plans. It can also help to reduce the psychological distress and longer term mental health problems that can result from the trauma of being involved in disasters. Being directly involved in any potentially life-threatening emergency situation can be genuinely terrifying. People often don’t have prior experience of being in natural disasters or knowledge of just how stressful this can be. When people are under severe stress they are usually not able to think as clearly as usual and this can affect decisions and reactions. These are normal, although not always helpful, responses to a possibly life-threatening situation. Having a better understanding of their own likely psychological responses in natural disaster warning situations can help people feel more in control and better able to cope. Being psychologically prepared can assist people to think more clearly and reduce the risk of serious injury and loss of life or property. Being cooler, calmer and more collected can also be very helpful to family members and others who may not be as well prepared psychologically for what is happening.
Canadian Assoc. for the Club of Rome “Plan to Survive Guide”
The climate is changing, with consequences for humans and all life on Earth. Extreme weather events
are happening all over the planet. The efforts of governments to restrain emissions of greenhouse gases
are falling short. It is vitally important for individuals, families, and communities to begin now to prepare to live with the
consequences. We all need to be resilient to survive. Plan to Survive provides a list of practical steps. It
identifies areas where individuals and communities may be impacted and the steps that can be taken to
reduce risk to them, their families, and their possessions. Each section presents actions that can be
taken to reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience.
https://canadiancor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Plan-to-Survive-First-Edition-July-12-2019.pdf
Insurance companies withdrawing from high risk areas
The president of one of the world’s largest insurance brokers warned Wednesday that climate change is destabilizing the insurance industry, driving up prices and pushing insurers out of high-risk markets. Aon PLC President Eric Andersen told a Senate committee that climate change is injecting uncertainty into an industry built on risk prediction and has created “a crisis of confidence around the ability to predict loss.” Reinsurance companies, which help insurers pay catastrophic losses, “have been withdrawing from high-risk areas, around wildfire and flood in particular,” Andersen told the Senate Budget Committee.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/climate-change-is-destabilizing-insurance-industry/
CDN Federal government Your Emergency Preparedness Guide
Basic emergency kit
- Water – at least two litres of water per person per day; include small bottles that can be carried easily in case of an evacuation order
- Food that won’t spoil, such as canned food, energy bars and dried foods (replace food and water once a year)
- Manual can-opener
- Crank or battery-powered flashlight (and extra batteries). Replace batteries once a year.
- Crank, battery-powered radio (and extra batteries) or Weatheradio
- First aid kit
- Extra keys to your car and house
- Some cash in smaller bills, such as $10 bills and change for payphones
- A copy of your emergency plan and contact information
- If applicable, other items such as prescription medication, infant formula, equipment for people with disabilities, or food, water and medication for your pets or service animal (personalize according to your needs)
https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/yprprdnssgd/index-en.aspx
CDN Federal government be prepared for Extreme Weather Events
When emergencies happen, having a plan in place is the best way to respond quickly and protect your family, your community and your property. Make a plan now – before you need one.
https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/index-en.aspx
More “Big Picture” ideas from Climate Proof Canada
Climate Proof Canada is a national coalition of Canadian business representatives, disaster relief organizations, municipalities, Indigenous organizations, environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and think tanks that believe Canada must prepare for the present and growing effects of climate change through building a more disaster-resilient country.
So what can you do right now?
- Assume that there will a climate event where you live
- Assume that you will lose power for many days
- Grow a “victory” garden and have a space to store 2 weeks worth of food/water
- Check with your insurance company about your location to see what they think
- Make sure you don’t live in a flood plain, if you are in a city a 1 way sewage backup valve to prevent sewage from backing up into your basement, if in the country and need a sump pump have a back up sump pump that does need power from the grid to work, look at a local flood map to see your flood risk
- If you live where there are high winds have hurricane straps to hold your roof down and cut down any trees that could fall and damage your house
- If you live in a fire prone area don’t live in a pine forest far away from the town as these homes will probably not be able to be saved, live in town
- Have your emergency kit with important papers/meds ready if you have to leave suddenly
- Assume that you will have a power failure that lasts a few days, so stock up on the basics, have water stockpiled and an alternative heat source
- Read the articles/papers referenced above, yes it takes time, but all good things in life do
- Never give up, never despair, take control of your life to the maximum extent that you can
Ottawa River Flood 2019
Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” — Rachel Carson
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