Page 44 - American Survival Guide - October 2017

“WE HUMANS ARE INFINITELY
ADAPTABLE TO ENVIRONMENTAL
CHANGE, TO CLIMATIC EVENTS
SHORT- AND LONG-TERM … ”

WATER, WATER—NOT EVERYWHERE
Clean water is a finite resource, so any climate change preparation should revolve
around sustainability of this most precious resource.
On a large scale, access to clean water could be what tips society over the brink in the
coming decades. Right now, efforts to prepare on the large scale are falling short.
“The strategies have to be diverse—desalination, water reuse and recycling, con-
servation, and planning for cycles in rainfall and drought,” Fagan adds. “The silent
elephants in the room are, of course, growing urban populations, as well as industrial,
water-hungry agriculture.”
On a smaller scale, people can prepare by ensuring they have enough water. Key to
water storage is having the right container. While water can be purchased in easy-to-store
plastic bottles by the caseload, these aren’t ideal for long-term storage. Plastic may not
be biodegradable for the most part, but plastic water bottles are photodegradable and
will break down quickly if exposed to sunlight.
More importantly with plastics, it is crucial that water is stored in plastic that is truly
food-grade safe, so look at the numbers: Food grades are 1, 2, 4 and 5, as well as some
bio-plastics that are marked with a 7. Likewise, not all glass is food grade and shouldn’t
CLIMATE be used for long-term storage—especially because glass can break and crack as a result
of changes in temperature.
The best method for long-term water storage is actually a stainless steel tank,
CHANGE because these have up to a 40-year life span. When adequately sealed, the water can be
stored without fear of contamination. If possible, water should be stored in a dark room and
& SPIRITS should generally be rotated, because it can have small amounts of contaminants that can
compound over time.
› Water can be
Today, beer is enjoyed by literally transported in a
billions around the globe; but, in many variety of ways,
but glass isn’t
ways, it is because of the Little Ice Age, recommended.
which began around the year 1300. While water
is sold in
Prior to this time, wine-making in lightweight
Europe thrived, because grapes grew in plastic bottles,
they aren’t
very rugged.
abundance, even in southern England. There are also
Then, with the arrival of the colder athletic plastic
climate, the vineyards failed, and wine water bottles.
But for long-
production fell. The hearty Europeans term storage,
a stainless
weren’t about to give up alcohol, however. steel bottle is
Turning to grains, which were plentiful recommended.
and could endure bitter cold, they
brewed beer and distilled hard alcohol.
The fermentation process that had been
perfected for wine production was used
for the brewing of beer and spirits such
as whiskey. Instead of German wines,
there was now German beer—something
that came to the New World with the
early immigrants. Likewise, instead of
British wines, there was now Irish and
Scotch whisky. (Cheers to that!)
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

44 AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE [OCTOBER 2017]

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