Jessica I live on a ranch, have garden, water, fish, chicken eggs, lots of wild animals, 15kw solar farm we home built cheap (works great). We subsistence eat but buy bread, coffee, tea, I love Coffeemate no idea why, and pecan sandy cookies. Milk, we don’t have milk cow or butter (buy the stuff that says organic and humane who knows). Not too much meat but not vegetarian. As someone living to care for wildlife, trees, native plants … and is so old (I’m 68 years old, my dad 46 when I was born his parents old when he was born they born 1880s and early in my life I saw how subsistence farmers lived). All that said your article is spot on.

Uncontrolled degradation of systems is slow misery. My grandparents said they had a party when electricity came in 1948. Penicillin is a miracle drug. Refrigeration is wonderful. A washing machine — especially a low water low energy modern front loader — is glory.

The last thing to do in a difficult situation is bunker. Reach out, coordinate, help others. Avoid if at all possible uncontrolled degradation of systems (it’s miserable) by dealing with climate change now and care for the whole earth especially each other now. Common friendliness, humor, kindness, pragmatism — just sitting with a hurting person or making a new friend (especially if different race, religion or orientation) — that stuff is really spiritual.

The “prepper” stuff I think is fear porn. I have no judgement, hey, if they like that as a club activity enjoy. And, we need a change of consciousness not a self centered temporary survival bunker plan. Besides, come out here in nature with me — it doesn’t work that way, everything is sentient and everything is connected. Love, others, today.