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Illinois is home to approximately 12,831,970 ethnically diverse population ranking as the fifth most populated place in the United States with an area of 57,918 square miles being the 25th largest place in America.

Illinois was admitted in the Union on December 3, 1818 being the 21st state to have been so. Aside from being the most populated state in the Midwest, Illinois also offers a variety of world class and historical tourist destinations and premier colleges and universities.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

Probably the most historical and often visited place in Illinois is the The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum located at Springfield. This library and museum has been said to be the biggest presidential library in the country. As the name might suggest, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum was built to commemorate the life of the 16th United States President, Abraham Lincoln. It also presents many of the important events during the American Civil War.

The library and museum opened in April of 2005 and after only six months of opening it already raised one million dollars. After a year, this tourist destination was visited by approximately one million visitors. No wonder many believe that it is the United States’ most frequented government-controlled presidential museum.

Aside from the life-like replicas of President Lincoln’s home, some areas in the White House as well as important events in President Lincoln’s life are exhibited in the museum. It also features two theatrical shows called Ghosts of the Library and Lincoln’s Eyes. The presidential museum received the Themed Entertainment Association’s Award for Creative Excellence as well as cited by the Lincoln Group of New York as “the greatest achievement in America to encourage the study and appreciation of Abraham Lincoln and the times in which he lived.”

John G. Shedd Aquarium

Aside from the fabulous presidential museum, Illinois also offers other world class museums such as the John G. Shedd Aquarium located in Chicago. It was opened only last May 30, 1930 and for a period of time was the biggest aquarium there is. It has been ranked as the second most visited place in Chicago with over 2 million visitors annually. Shedd Aquarium was the first ever aquarium to have its own collection of inland saltwater fishes with over 2100 different water and land species in attendance totaling 25,951 animals in all.

The Shedd Aquarium is a great place to bring your kids with its own recreation of the Amazon jungle and a 90,000-US-gallon circular tank that allows maximum view of the underwater. The Shedd Aquarium has received various awards such as the Best Exhibit Award from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Field Museum of Natural History

The Field Museum of Natural History or FHMN, also located in Chicago, was hailed by many as the most popular tourist attraction in all of Chicago. The museum was founded on 1906 and offers a collection of artifacts and exhibits covering the subjects of Geology, Zoology, Anthropology and Botany. It is most famous for its Tyrannosaurus rex fossil collection being the most complete and largest collection ever.

Aside from the T-rex, the museum also offers a wide variety of dinosaur collection as well as artifacts featuring Native Americans, the Pacific Northwest, ancient Egypt, and Tibet. “Fieldiana”, a journal reviewing the museum is also published four times a year and is available online.

Art Institute of Chicago

If you are interested in art then the Art Institute of Chicago is for you. Hailed as the United States’ foremost museum of fine arts, it was established in 1879 and has over 1,441,000 visitors yearly. This art museum garnered popularity by exhibiting Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art as well as American paintings.

Among those exhibited are the Water Lilies and Haystacks by Claude Monet, Piere-Auguste Renoir’s Two Sisters (On the Terrace), Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s At the Moulin Rouge and the Self-portrait, 1887 and Bedroom in Arles by Vincent Van Gogh, among others.

Illinois offers more than great museums and historical places. It also offers a friendly neighborhood, a booming economy and premier universities. If ever you’re interested in visiting Illinois or making it your home, check out illinoisatoz for available listing of properties for sale in the state.

Are you considering building a new deck onto your home? Be sure to plan ahead to find the best possible deck design to perfectly match your home aesthetics.

Review the following deck planning considerations.

1 Deck Location
Design the new deck location area similar to building a room onto your home. Would you end a room in the middle of a window? No. Remembering to keep your deck away from windows by up to two feet will prevent your looking out the window at a railing. Many decks have an entrance to the home by the kitchen through the dining area. In areas of the country with heavy snowfall, you may want to step down a step or two to keep standing snow away from the door threshold and laying against your door. 4″ lower than the door is a common minimum height in snow country.

2 Site Plan
When you purchased your home your realtor should have included a copy of our site/ plot plan in your contract. Your local zoning department may have a copy on file if you do not have a plot plan. This plan shows you the property setbacks and easement lines that require you to not build past certain parameters. Your local building department can help you with this when you apply for your new deck building permit. In some townships and counties you may not be required to apply for a building permit.

3 Deck Layout and Design
Begin by getting a feel for the size of the new deck you will be building. Use two foot increments when deciding your deck size. The reason for this is lumber is cut to 8′, 10′, 12′, and 16′ lengths. This will reduce scrap materials and save you money. Remember that decks are NOT symmetrical to the back of the home. Decks are most common to to one side or the other. This is an important consideration in the layout of your new deck. To get a feel for your deck layout try using scrap lumber or a garden hose to layout the new deck shape.

4 Deck Size
To determine your deck size list the uses of the deck. Then ask yourself how much room will I need? The average outdoor area is between 12% – 18% of the square footage for the home. Most people use their deck for dining or entertaining outside. Built-in hot tubs, spas, screen rooms, and outdoor kitchen areas are becoming more popular in modern deck designs.

5 Consider a Deck Dining Area
Will you be dining on your deck? One modern trend is to build a bump-out (It may be an octagon) to push the table and chairs off the main deck floor and give the dining area a designated space.

6 Privacy Walls
Is privacy needed from your neighbors or your street? Deck builders offer a privacy wall option. If this is limited to the sides of the deck it avoids the “feeling of being trapped in a fish bowl.”

7 Deck Access
How will you get off and on the deck? The side of the house where you walk to get to the back yard may be the best spot to enter the new deck. Stairways are heavily regulated by your local building department. A width of 36″ is as narrow as you can build. The rise (height between steps) should be between 7″ – 8″. The run or “tread” of the step should b between 10″ – 12″ deep. Large staircases are nice to look at and are appealing to quickly access your backyard, still most staircases are 36″ – 48″ wide. If you have a two story deck consider a landing midway in the stairway. This will minimize a fall and reduce injuries. Each township or county will have specifications of how a staircase is attached to the deck frame and whether or not it will need a railing.

8 Grill Location
Where will your grill go? Keep your grill by the door but not next to the house. You also have the option to run a permanent gas line run under your deck to your grill. This will save you the trips to refill your propane tank.

9 Shade Solutions
Will you need shade? One solution is to install a custom awning over your deck. This can be very costly and may even exceed the price of your new deck. One popular alternative choice is to build a pergola or arbor into the design of the deck. A pergola can be installed n one of a number of different styles, shapes, and materials. Pergolas and arbors provide some shade to the area they cover. If you need total shade consider a roof covered deck or a screened in porch option.

10 Deck Seating
Would you rather have a railing around the deck or seating? In many areas if your new deck is higher than 18″ off the ground you will need a railing around the deck perimeter. A typical railing height is 36 inches. If your deck stands higher than 10 feet off the ground a 42″ – 48″ tall railing may be needed. If you are building a wooden deck and you would like to have seating built into the design an option is composite lumber. This composite (plastic) lumber helps to eliminate splintering and warping that happens over time with wood seating.

Bottom Line – Be sure the deck fits your needs and desires before the process of building the new deck is started. Then check the deck builders list of references to ensure the quality you desire for the construction of your new deck will happen.

* Friday, Saturday, Sunday, (www.frisatsun.com) is one of those parts of the Philadelphia landscape that is a fun, and longtime favorite by locals and tourists, alike. Voted the best tiny romantic restaurant by Philadelphia Magazine, the romantic dining room and upstairs tank bar offers some of the most splendid food like “superb roast duck or best poached fish in town”, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Entrees are $20 to $29 for the Rack of Australian Lamb.

* Le Bec Fin, (www.lebecfin.com) -a Philadelphia fixture since 1970, offers French cuisine in and elegant setting, but gentlemen no longer have to wear jackets and signature dishes like airy crab cake, poached salmon and pork tenderloin with truffle mashed potatoes are still on the new menu, where two people can dine for $100 or under, on items like tuna tartare with caviar or cote de boeuf for two.

* Barclay Prime, (www.barclayprime.com) has great service and amazing appetizers like the Kobe sliders, and one of the best soft-shell appetizers in season. Known for their much-touted Kobe cheesesteak, which is around $100 with a split of champagne- they also have Dover Sole, Seared Ahi and the famous Four Story Hill Farm 16 ounce strip steak, aged for 21 days. An elegant atmosphere for a steakhouse, and prices are in fine dining range, but the food is worth it.

* Dante & Luigi’s, (www.danteandluigis.com) – Philly’s oldest Italian restaurant has authentic Italian food and features a homemade “gravy” you can have served on pasta, veal, sweetbreads with mushrooms and onions or Chicken Parmigiana. Classic tiramisu is always a sure winner for dessert. It gets rave reviews for the friendly people, great service and terrific food at reasonable prices.

* The Plough and the Stars, (www.ploughstars.com), has continental flair in one of the city’s friendliest places to dine and drink, and has some of the best gourmet food in a gorgeous decor. From duck terrine, Irish smoked salmon with home-baked bread, mussels in cream, this Irish-French cuisine is like an upscale Irish restaurant and one of the busiest scenes in the Old City. Be sure to try the chocolate truffle cake for dessert. Entrees are reasonably priced, with most under $20.

* Prime Rib, (www.theprimerib.com), in The Warwick Hotel, is a Philly favorite, with pampering service they have offered over the years, the lump crab meat cocktails are jumbo, and the signature prime rib is huge, and so are the double lamb chops and two-pound stuffed lobster. #1 Steakhouse in DC, Baltimore and Philadelphia has live baby grand piano and string bass music for ambience. Prices are in fine dining range.

* Saloon Restaurant, (www.salonrestaurant.net), is a fixture of South Philly that is classified as a clubby, Italian steakhouse that has huge portions, and great décor. The Steaks are enormous and good, and the Italian dishes specials are well executed. Prices are in the mid-range.

* Thomas’s Restaurant, (www.thomasrestaurant.com), is right on Main Street and a great place to people watch, if you choose the outdoor seating. They have great prices on beer specials and some great appetizers. Happy hour has ½ price specials. Since 1982, they have offered brunch and classic dishes like steak frites, pan seared Salmon and jumbo lump crab cakes. Priced reasonable and choose from casual or go upstairs for fine dining.

* Upstares at Varalli’s, (www.varalliusa.com ), has a great location across from the Academy of Music and offers some unique tastes like grilled Mediterranean Octopus, House made Sausage of the Day, and PEI Mussels and Baby Clams, and that’s just the appetizers. Entrees include steaks, chops, ribs, duck and fish. Priced in the mid-range, it’s a great location with a city view.

* Valley Green Inn, (www.valleygreeninn.com), established in 1683, is a Philadelphia landmark that serves brunch, and some classics like chicken and waffles, lobster, shrimp and scallop hash, smoked salmon benedicts and a Phamous Philly cheesesteak omelet. Prices are reasonable and it’s a great place to take the family.

These are just a few of Philadelphia’s older, established and great eateries, each with a unique menu selection and ambience. Try the classic Cheesesteak sandwiches, but these offerings also have some of the best Philly has to offer.

It is said that online sales will be well over $100 billion this year, that a lot of cash..  So you can see the demand for online retailers, affiliate marketers, e-bay, amazon.com, ect.  With the economy in the tank, and more and more people are losing their jobs, this is one business that just keeps on growing year in and year out.  So if you are thinking about starting a business like this, you can always start out part time and work your way up to full time, it is that much in demand.

Starting a business can be very scary, but it doesn’t  have to be.  Just think of what interests you, and start there, because the more you know about something the easier it will be for you.  One of my friends she like purses, so she sells purses online, another sells shoes, and another sells fishing equipment, and they are all doing well because it’s what they specialize in, and so can you.

Do a search online with something you have a passion about, or what you are good at, and click on that site, take a good look at the site see if you like it, if you do, look at the bottom of the site, at the end of the page, sometimes they have a link like affiliate program, click on the link and see what they have to offer.  Sometimes they are looking for people to help them, or they want to help other people start their own web site and sell their products, so take your time and choose wisely.

You may also find opportunities in your local newspaper, magazines, and bulletin boards ect.  When you find what you are looking for, search the name of the company online to see the reviews, this will tell you if the company is worth your time and effort.  You can tell a lot about a company by their reviews.  If you see to many bad reviews, well I don’t have to tell you what you should do.  Be careful of the if it sounds to good to be true it probably is situation.

Once you find what your are looking for, and you have your site all set up all you have to do now is promote your site, this can be done several ways, ads on Google, writing articles, newspapers, magazines, bulletin boards, friends and family, social sites ect.  For more information on how to start your own ecommerce business see bellow.

eat distribution is pivotal to successful grilling. If you have a even heat distribution, you’re on your way to great BBQ-ing and grilling. To evenly distribute heat on the grate surface, grills can implement ceramic briquettes, vented metal plates, and porcelain-coated cast-iron bars or stainless steel grates. User reviews and testing have resulted in the opinion that porcelain-coated cast-iron bars or stainless steel grates are the most efficient way to distribute heat on the grate surface of a gas grill.

As evident in the importance of heat distribution, good barbecue is about temperature control. Variable temperature settings and controls are pivotal in grilling. A good grill will give you the ability to slow roast and sear your food; along with grilling. Most high-end models will include this option; being able to control the temperature of different burners.

In terms of BTU, users have had many discussions as to the value of this spec in evaluating a grill. BTU in gas grills isn’t the most important feature to look at in grill comparision. You’d be better served to concentrate on heat distribution, size, etc… That doesn’t mean that BTU should be discounted, however. When comparing gas grills on sale in the same “class”, huge variations in BTU ratings (lower ratings) should definitely be a sign or warning. There may be a heat intensity or timing issue with the particular unit.

Another thing to look at is grate spacing. Grilling will always present the (in)opportunity for a piece of meat or fish or pesky zucchini to fall through the grill grates. The closer together the slats, the less chance you’ll accidentally flick a piece of expensive grill food into the fires! So, look for bigger rods and smaller grill spacing.

ther features are grill shelving and warming racks to make the grilling experience even better. Gas grills that have shelves give you the option of slicing vegetables, preparing marinades or meat before hitting the grill. Warming racks are great for re-heating hamburger patty meat or hotdogs that have already been cooked; as well as heating buns!

Want the closest experience to a full kitchen outside? Add a side burner to your gas grill setup. ANything that can’t be grilled, but are pivotal to your meal can be cooked and prepared on the side burner; such as boiling vegetables or making various side dishes. Side burners are definitely an added cost in gas grills, so figure out if you really need one. If you’re only going to grill on your grill, then save your money for other grill goodies like the suggestions in the next paragraph!

Finally, keep in mind that you’ll have to buy some other essential, grilling things and accessories. You’ll most likely have to purchase a liquid propane tank (usually, sold separately). If you’re going to store your grill outdoors, a gas grill cover will be a necessary investment. Of course, what grill would be complete without a proper wire brush, tongs, a witty apron and hat, and other tools, etc…

Evaluate the features you really need and dive into it. Make a list of the options we’ve talked about above and start shopping for the perfect gas grill; whether it be online shopping or reading reviews. Use what you’ve learned here and match it with your budget and you’ll have no issues navigating the plethora of gas grills on sale!

A mixed technology pack consisting of awareness on generation of total farm income is needed. Our farming is a composite farming comprising crop, fruit, livestock, fish and allied production systems. We need a composite technology pack and not a commodity research end product. Thus a total change and reformation in National Agricultural Research System (NARS) is needed to shape it as farmer friendly. We may name it NFR&ES, i. e National Farm Research & Extension System or simply Indian Farm Research and Business Management System.
Introduction

Future of agricultural extension education lies in its advancement through research, methodological refineness and village–linked mechanization. The disciplines of extension education has to be reshaped, incorporating explorative methods, survey techniques, computing skills, economic and social back ground analysis. An attempt to characterize barriers in transmission of technologies to the baseline farming systems needs a reformation in extension education in India and Asia. A detailed reformation model in the form of Broad Based Agricultural extension has been published (Wani, 1992). The booklet describes a model approach for Kashmir Valley districts. With the establishment of SAMETI in SKUAST-K, as an autonomous Institution, a series of documents for improving productivity in whole agriculture i,e crops, fruits and livestock have been prepared. (Wani, 2008,a& b). On the basis of these reviews and documents, the present document is 4th of the series, reviewing technology dissemination, impact & productivity changes. It concludes with a reformation model for Extension Education – a Vision.
Farmers Perception

A study was conducted to examine the perception of cotton farmers(n= 210) of Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India, regarding the attributes of integrated pest management (IPM) technologies. Majority of the cotton farmers of the area perceived that the initial cost of IPM technologies is high, and IPM technologies give meager and irregular net profit, but may be beneficial in the long run. Moreover, farmers stated that IPM technologies are not feasible given the situation of the district, culturally not acceptable, not necessary, not socially recognized, have more cognitive complexity and scarce resource complexity, reversible, and consume more labour. Regarding the practicality of IPM technologies, the respondents felt that the technologies can be easily demonstrated and tried out, and have reliable point of origin. It is suggested that the success of IPM technologies depends on farmers awareness, community approach, timeliness and availability of inputs. (Nasantha & Buchareddy,, 2006).

Eco-friendly Technology

This study was conducted to analyse the constraints encountered by farmers (n=245) in employing eco-friendly technologies in cultivating rice in Andhra Pradesh, India. Ineffectiveness of the recommended dosage of spray solutions (51.42%), and difficulty in maintaining recommended depth of water after transplanting (23.26%), were the major problems perceived by the farmers. Based on the results, 55.51% farmers suggested that adequate trainings must be conducted on improved management practices to enhance farmers’s skills, and 32.24% farmers said that more demonstrations must be conducted on farmers’s fields, for effective adoption of eco-friendly technologies in rice cultivation (Reddy et al, 2006).

The study was conducted to analyse eco-friendly technologies for rice cultivation, which exploit renewable resources to control pollution upto consideredable level and to recycle wastes. The data were gathered from 245 farmers in three regions of Andhra Pradesh, India . it is suggested that extension agencies should concentrate on major suggestions i.e., conducting required number of training programmes for enhancing the skills of rice farmers in various management practices. Conducting more number of demonstration on the efficacy of eco-friendly technologies in the field, rather than mere publicity. Extension should be strengthened so that it is demand driven, market driven and farmer led. Visits of experts should be increased to farmers’ field region wise and block wise for better comprehension and diagnosis of field problems. (Reddy et al 2005).

This study was conducted to analyse the attitudes of rice farmers (n=245) in Andhra Pradesh, India, towards eco-friendly technologies. Results showed favourable attitude of farmers towards eco-friendly technologies. The results indicate the need for the extension agency to train and educate the farmers regarding the advantage of adopting eco-friendly technologies to decrease environmental pollution, obtain high quality produce and sustainable yields,(Reddy et al, 2006).
Technology gaps

The study was conducted in Junagadh-1 and Junagadh-2 subdivisions of Rajkot division, where National Watershed development programme has already been implemented, to find out the extent of technological gaps in adoption of soil and water conservation technologies and factors responsible for it. The results revealed that the technological gap was higher in adopting the percolation tank-cum-farm ponds, strip cropping and mulching practices in beneficiary farmers (BFs). But in non-beneficiary farmers (NBFs) , the technological gap was higher in the practices of contour cultivation, contour bunding along with vegetative barriers, afforestation, recharging well and tubewell, deep ploughing and graded bunding in addition to above three practices mentioned for BFs. The study clearly indicated that overall technological gap in NBFs was significantly higher with a mean difference of 24.57% compared to BFs. It was also observed that variables namely, size of land holding , social participation, employment status, opinion leadership, extension participation, localite-cosmopolite value orientation knowledge and attitude were significantly correlated with the technological gap (Popat et al 2006).
Farmer Decision Process

This study was conducted to analyse the direct and indirect relative influence of the selected independent variables with each other to analyse the relative influence of other dependent variable, i.e., differential innovation decision process of rice eco-friendly technologies. The data were gathered from 245 farmers in Andhra Pradesh, India , and analysed using path coefficient. The path diagram clearly shows that the variables social participation, farm size, and extension participation were crucial variables. This might be due to the fact that many variables were channeling their substantial indirect effects on differential innovation decision process of rice eco-friendly technologies through them. The variables exposure to electronic media and cosmopoliteness showed significant positive direct effects. Moreover, maximum direct negative effects were shown by fatalism and religious beliefs (Reddy et al, 2006).

Farmer cost-sharing – Nigerian Model

Providing adequate and stable funding for agricultural extension service in Nigeria has been a major problem since the expiration of the World Bank’s funding arrangement. In order to solve this problem, cost –sharing of agricultural technology delivery is seen as a tenable privatization policy option. Considering the fact that agricultural technology transfer in Nigeria has mainly been publicly funded, introducing cost-sharing arrangement is expected to meet some obstacles. Hence, this study ascertains the perception of farmers and extension agents on the constraints and strategies towards effective cost –sharing of agricultural technology delivery in Nigeria. This study was carried out in six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Multistage random sampling technique was applied in the selection of respondents. A sample size of 267 farmers and 272 Agricultural Development Programme (ADP)staff participated in the study. Means, standard deviation, exploratory factor analysis and test statistics were used in realizing the objectives. The results show that the major constraints to effective cost-sharing of agricultural extension service in Nigeria are weak institutional development, extension system lapses, lack of cooperation by farmers, uncertainties experienced in agriculture, conflicts and corruption. The major strategies for effective cost-sharing arrangement include building political support for cost sharing , establishment of farmers’ cooperatives to serve as avenues for collection of payments, creating enabling legislation for cost –sharing and increasing the number of extension staff. The study recommends proper dissemination of information on cost-sharing before implementation, creating enabling legislation, decentralizing the extension system and building the capabilities of extension staff (kukwuone et al, 2006). Should we use this model of Nigeria.

Farmers Knowledge Level

The study was conducted to determine farmers’ knowledge level regarding the major aspects of pearl millet production technology in dryland farming. The data were gathered by administering a questionnaire to 120 farmers in Sirsa District, Haryana, India. Results showed that 54.17% of farmers possessed medium knowledge level whreas 26.67 and 19.16% of them have high and low knowledge level, respectively. Regarding aspect-wise knowledge level of production technology, 75% of farmers possessed high knowledge in preparatory tillage, 78% had low knoeledge level about improved variety, 90% of farmers had low level of knowledge on seed treatment and 68% possessed medium knowledge level about sowing rate. For sowing date and FYM application, 82% and 70% of farmers had high and medium knowledge level, respectively. Farmers possess low level of knowledge about chemical fertilizers application 48%. In mechanical weed control, 85% had high knowledge level and 82% had low knowledge about chemical weed control. On plant protection measures, 50.83 and 70% farmers had low knowledge level about insect control and disease control, respectively (Chander et al, 2006).

Farmers Field Schools

The Farmer Field School (FFS) approach is gaining prominence as an extension approach but its usefulness in influencing farmers to understand and uptake new technologies is still a question lingering in the mind of many FFS practitioners. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the approach in knowledge acquisition, adoption and dissemination of soil and crop management (S&CM) technologies among small-scale farmers in Kenya. Eight technologies were scaled –out using the approach and the conventional extension methods. A survey with an ex-post facto design was employed with a sample frame consisting of 940 farmers. A sample of 60 FFS graduates and 60 non-FFS (NFFS) farmers was chosen for the study. There was a significant difference in knowledge acquired in S&CM technologies by FFS compared to NFFS farmers. About 50% of FFS farmers had acquired high to very high level of the knowledge of all the eight technologies disseminated while the majority ( 80%) of the NFFS farmers had acquired less than 50% of the same knowledge. About 45% of the FFS farmers had adopted 50% of the technology components while only 17% of NFFS farmers had adopted the same percentage of the technology components. The FFS participants were significantly (P .05) better disseminators of S&CM technologies than the non-FFS farmers. It was recommended that all stakeholders in Agricultural development in Kenya be sensitized on the potential effectiveness of FFS methodology in scaling-up agricultural technologies and also monitor how the application of knowledge acquired by FFS farmer is impacting on their livelihoods. (Bunyatta et al, 2006).
Conclusion and work plan 2008

Community supported agriculture system needs to be evolved. It should encompass food production, marketing, distribution, quality assurances and pricing decisions. A transparent system of research, outreach (extension) industry profiting based on Farmers production prices need to be evolved. Research and extension needs to be clubbed to give end products to farmers and not the research publication which are never transferable to farmers. Communication process within extension system need to be informative, analytic and fact gathering exercises. The total change in Extension delivery system should begin with curriculum changes to suit new name of “Farm Business Management. It needs incorporation of Agricultural sciences awareness with particular emphasis on Agribusiness, appraisals, consultancy, risk management, data analysis, credit management, marketing, public relations, economics and policy issues, farm management and international agriculture – public private partnerships, Farm co-operative ventures, rural banking, Agro-industrial managements, feed/seed services and programmes need to be added to the projects and mission on agricultural technology delivery system.

Farmer schools, women awareness and technology impact analytic projects need to be financed by ICAR. A broad national based project as Agriculture and National resource utilization needs to be financed including all SAU Extension Education Directorates. This should cover areas of farm production, production cost, price structure, service cost, input – output ratio with respect to livestock, fish, agriculture, forestry, sericulture and horticulture products. Quality trainings in food processing and preservation to stimulate new graduate to set up food processing units. A composit packaging of technology, their use and cost benefit ratio analysis should be the areas of operation of the project. Once the basic idea of reforms is conceived by ICAR logistics could be worked out.

2012 Survival Guide

by

2012online.org

This Survival Guide is intended as a basic introduction on how to prepare for and react to events that may take place over the course of the years leading up to December 21, 2012. These skills and techniques are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to take the place of a professional survival or first aid training course. Rather, they are intended to increase your awareness of the lifesaving importance of preparation of the coming events, survival skills and to encourage you to research the events that may transpire.

For beginners interested in understanding the basics of December 21, 2012 and the Earth changing events, there is unlimited information available from many sources, and advances of knowledge and collaboration have led to a growing number of “watchers” and people that are preparing even though they do not believe something is to happen. Even so, at least they will be ready, and you should as well. Even if nothing is to happen then there will be ample number of supplies to last you for the coming years. What if the Earth does change rapidly, and you are not prepared? If you meet the minimal requirements to survive through Pole Shift, Volcanic Eruptions, Extreme Cold, Hurricanes, Tornados, Earthquakes, Land Shifts, Major Floods, Solar and Gamma Radiation then you are one more step in the right direction.

However, there is no substitute for experience in any of these extreme situations, and your reaction in a survival situation depends on your education and training. Always keep in mind that a survival situation mentioned above can happen to you. Be prepared and plan to be a survivor.

For too long, the term “survivalist” has called to mind paranoia, and the person that lives out in the woods. Nevertheless, as we continue on track towards our unknown future, we will not be called “survivalist”, but “survivors” as we will need every ounce of energy, every thought of our brain, and every inch of muscle to continue our existence here on planet Earth. The following pages are for the ones that may or may not believe what has been foretold, and what history has taught us throughout the years.

Read at your own discretion

Table of Contents                                                                                 

Chapter                                                                                             pg

1. The Basics………………………………………………………………………3

Food

Water

Shelter

2. Beyond the Basics….…………………………………………………………..14

Developing a Survival Mindset

Survival Awareness  

3. Disasters………………………………………………………………………..18

Floods

Earthquakes

Hurricanes

Tornados

Fire Storms

Volcanic Eruption

Asteroid impact

Radiation

Polar Reversal/Shift

Extreme Cold/Heat

Riot/Civil Disaster

Electricity Shortage

Tsunami

Alien Invasion

4. How To…………………………………………………………………………29

Fire

Shelter

First Aid

5. How can you Afford all this…………………………………………………………………..37

6. Check List……………………………………………………………………..38

Chapter 1: The Basics

If you’ve given any thought to survival, you know that food, water and shelter are the foundation of any long-term survival plan. If you prepare to provide these three items for yourself and family, you will be farther ahead than 90 percent of the public.

Many would say water is the most important of the three, but we’ll address them in the order of: Food, Water and Shelter. Below are some questions to ask yourself to better understand what specifics you will need to prepare for in your area of the world. (or to be safe, prepare for all)

What natural disasters or extreme conditions you likely to face in the next four years?

What other disasters or emergency situations might you face?

What are the ramifications of each?

What do you have now that you can use in any disaster situation?

How much is the minimum for you and your survival situation is an answer you’ll have to come up with after reviewing this survival guide, but don’t worry we will give a generic minimal survival pack.

Food

You may be able to survive a few weeks or even a month without food, but without food, you will become weak, susceptible to illnesses, dizzy and unable to perform survival-related tasks. Water may be more critical to short-term survival, but you will need every ounce of energy to get out of harms way, this is why food is also just as important.

Will a months worth of food be enough? Or do you need a year’s worth? 2012 Online cannot tell you what’s best in your situation, but we suggest that two weeks or more is the minimum for anyone in any of these potential survival situations. Why should you stock up on so much food if the worst you’re planning to prepare for is a just a little out of the ordinary?

Several reasons:

It may take a while for store shelves to be replenished especially as we approach December 21, 2012. Think back to a heavy storm that hit your area, was there enough supplies for everyone? Now imagine a whole country, or even the world needing the same supplies. Now there is a problem.

You may be asked to feed friends or neighbors.

You may or may not be protected from price gouging.

You need to be prepared for a crippling blow to our food supply system.

You will need an existing food supply and a future food supply

Your existing food reserve should not include food in your refrigerator or freezer because you cannot count on those items remaining edible for more than a day (fridge) or three (freezer), at most.

Examination of your existing foods in your cabinets will tell you how much you need to add to ensure you have enough food for a week. A suggestion of food storage is generally canned items (including items in jars) or dried foods. Review our list of commercial food items and their suggested storage times when making up your personal list but keep in mind your family’s eating habits, likes and dislikes. Also, remember that you may not have access to electricity, so pick food items and packaging that can be prepared on a single burner of a camp stove or even over an open fire.

Rotation of Foods

The main difference between the commercially prepared foods you buy in the grocery store and the specially prepared “survival” foods is the shelf storage. You can’t store grocery store items for five to ten years, as you can with specially freeze-dried or sealed foods packed in nitrogen or vacuum sealed. You need to rotate your items, either on an ongoing basis or every two to three months. This will ensure you have fresh food (if you can consider canned and dry food “fresh”) and do not waste your food and money.

As a general rule, traditional canned foods should be consumed within a year. For cans with expiration dates, such as Campbell’s soups, you may find you have 18 months or two years before they expire. Cans without a date, or with a code, mark them with the date purchased and make sure you eat them before a year passes.

Survival Foods

Simple raw materials for baking, such as flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, oil and shortening can be assets in a survival situation. For long-term survival storage, honey stores for years and can replace sugar in recipes. Rather than storing flour or meal, purchase the raw grain and a hand mill. Then you can mill your own flour whenever necessary. Red winter wheat, golden wheat, corn and other grains can be purchased in 45-pound lots packed in nitrogen-packed bags and shipped in large plastic pails.

Long-term storage falls into several categories:

Vacuum-packed dried and freeze-dried foods

Nitrogen packed grains and legumes

Specially prepared and sealed foods such as MRE’s (Meals, Ready-to-Eat) with a five-to-ten year shelf life

All offer one main advantage: long storage life. Some, such as MRE’s and packages sold to backpackers, are complete meals. This is handy and convenient, but they tend to be expensive on a per-meal basis. As the name implies, MRE’s are ideal for a quick, nutritious, easy-to-prepare meal. They are convenient to carry in the car, on a trip or on a hike. They have very long shelf lives (which can be extended by placing a case or two in your spare refrigerator). On the downside, they are very expensive on a per-meal basis and they do not provide as much roughage as you need. (This can lead to digestive problems if you plan to live on them for more than a week or two). Large canned goods, on the other hand, are difficult to transport. But if you’re stocking up your survival retreat or planning to batten down the hatches and stay at home, the large canned goods are easy to store and can keep you well-fed for months.

Remember, however, if you have four people in your family or survival group, purchasing a one-year supply of food will only equate to three months worth for the family. 2012 Online recommends purchasing the largest set of these canned, dried foods your budget can handle. Then supplement the set with items tailored to you and your family or survival group. You may also want to add a few special items, such as hard candy or deserts, to reward yourself or for quick energy.

While on the topic of supplements, don’t forget to add vitamins and mineral supplements. Fruits, green vegetables and other items rich in vitamin C and other nutrients may be scarce, so a good multi-vitamin is well worth the space it takes up in your stash.

Home Made Survival Foods

You can try to dry, vacuum-pack and otherwise prepare food for storage. Vacuum pumps are available commercially or can be constructed in your own home. You can use them to seal dried food in mason jars and other containers.

When packing foods for storage, you want to eliminate oxygen. Bugs, such as weevils, and other organisms that can destroy your food need the oxygen to live. That’s why commercial companies who prepare survival food pack grains, cereals, pasta, beans and other foods in nitrogen-filled containers. You can accomplish a similar packaging yourself by using dried ice.

Simply take the 10 pounds of noodles (or 25 pounds of rice or other dried food) you picked up from the warehouse and put them in an appropriately sized plastic bucket with a lid that can create a good seal. Then add several chunks of dried ice. As it sublimates, your bucket will fill with carbon dioxide, which will displace all or most of the oxygen (since carbon dioxide is heavier, the oxygen should rise to the top and out of the bucket). Place the lid on the bucket, but don’t seal it all the way until you think the dry ice has completely turned to gas. Remember, as soon as you open the bucket the air will come back in.

Hunting and Gathering in the Wild

It’s time to look to nature to help feed you. That’s great if you have acres of tillable land that was not destroyed. But if not, or if it’s too late, you will need to turn to hunting, trapping and gathering.

If you can identify wild plants that can supplement your existing diet, good for you. If not, better go out and buy a few guide books right away. Get ones with pictures, you’ll need them. If you’re a hunter, could you imagine what the local patch of forest would be like if everyone’s dinner depended on hunting? How quickly would we strip this continent of all edible game? Planning on fishing? So is everyone else.

Tip – Always drink while eating, your body looses lots of water while digesting. If you do not have water to drink – DO NOT EAT!

Water

As mentioned previously, water is probably the most necessary element for human life, with the exception of oxygen.

When planning your water resources for survival you need to deal with three areas:

Storing water

Finding or obtaining water

Purifying water

Storing Water

For your in-home cache or survival stash, you should count on two gallons of water per-person per-day. While this is more water than necessary to survive it ensures water is available for hygiene and cooking as well as drinking.

Commercial gallon bottles of filtered/purified spring water often carry expiration dates two years after the bottling date. A good rotation program is necessary to ensure your supply of water remains fresh and drinkable (see the previous chapter on food for information on rotation).

If you prefer to store your own water, don’t use milk cartons; it’s practically impossible to remove the milk residue. If you have a spare refrigerator in the basement or the garage, use water bottles (the kind soda or liters of water come in) to fill any available freezer space. In addition to providing you with fresh, easily transportable drinking water, the ice can be used to cool food in the refrigerator in the event of a power failure. For self-storage of large amounts of water, you’re probably better off with containers of at least 5 gallons. Food-grade plastic storage containers are available commercially in sizes from five gallons to 250 or more. Containers with handles and spouts are usually five to seven gallons, which will weigh between 40 and 56 pounds.

A 15 gallon and 30 gallon container used for food service such as delivery of syrups to soda bottlers and other manufacturers are often available on the surplus market. After proper cleaning, these are ideal for water storage as long as a tight seal can be maintained. 55 gallon drums and larger tanks are also useful for long-term storage, but make sure you have a good pump. Solutions designed to be added to water to prepare it for long-term storage are commercially available. Bleach can also be used as a last resort to treat water from municipal sources. Added at a rate of about 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons, bleach can ensure the water will remain drinkable.

Once you’re in a survival situation where there is a limited amount of water, conservation is an important consideration. While drinking water is critical, water is also necessary for re-hydrating and cooking dried foods. Water from boiling pasta, cooking vegetables and similar sources can and should be retained and drunk, after it has cooled. Canned vegetables also contain liquid that can be consumed. To preserve water, save water from washing your hands, clothes and dishes to flush toilets.

Short Term Storage

People who have electric pumps drawing water from their well have learned the lesson of filling up all available pots and pans when a thunderstorm is brewing. What would you do if you knew your water supply would be disrupted in an hour?

Here are a few options in addition to filling the pots and pans:

The simplest option is to put two or three heavy-duty plastic trash bags (avoid those with post-consumer recycled content) inside each other. Then fill the inner bag with water. You can even use the trash can to give structure to the bag. Fill your bath tub almost to the top. While you probably won’t want to drink this water, it can be used to flush toilets, wash your hands, etc. If you are at home, a fair amount of water will be stored in your water pipes and related system. To gain access to this water, you must first close the valve to the outside as soon as possible. This will prevent the water from running out as pressure to the entire system drops and prevent contaminated water from entering your house. Then open a faucet on the top floor. This will let air into the system so a vacuum doesn’t hold the water in. Next, you can open a faucet in the basement. Gravity should allow the water in your pipes to run out the open faucet. You can repeat this procedure for both hot and cold systems. Your hot water heater will also have plenty of water inside it. You can access this water from the valve on the bottom. Again, you may need to open a faucet somewhere else in the house to ensure a smooth flow of water.

Finding or Obtaining Water

There are certain climates and geographic locations where finding water will either be extremely easy or nearly impossible. You’ll have to take your location into account when you read the following.

Wherever you live, your best bet for finding a source of water is to scout out suitable locations and stock up necessary equipment before an emergency befalls you. With proper preparedness, you should know not only the location of the nearest streams, springs or other water source but specific locations where it would be easy to fill a container and the safest way to get it home. Preparedness also means having at hand an easily installable system for collecting rain water. This can range from large tarps or sheets of plastic to a system for collecting water run off from your roof or gutters. Once

you have identified a source of water, you need to have bottles or other containers ready to transport it or store it.

Purification

Water that is not purified may make you sick, possibly even killing you. In a survival situation, with little or no medical attention available, you need to remain as healthy as possible. Boiling water is the best method for purifying running water you gather from natural sources. It doesn’t require any chemicals, or expensive equipment, all you need is a large pot and a good fire or similar heat source. Boiling for 20 or 30 minutes should kill common bacteria such as Guardia and Cryptosporidium. One should consider that boiling water will not remove foreign contaminants such as radiation or heavy metals.

Commercial purification/filter devices made by companies such as PUR are the best choices. They range in size from small pump filters designed for backpackers to large filters designed for entire camps. Probably the best filtering devices for survival retreats are the model where you pour water into the top and allow it to slowly seep through the media into a reservoir on the bottom. No pumping is required. On the down side, most such filtering devices are expensive and have a limited capacity. Filters are good for anywhere from 200 liters to thousands of gallons, depending on the filter size and mechanism. Some filters used fiberglass and activated charcoal. Others use impregnated resin or even ceramic elements.

Chemical additives are another, often less suitable option. The water purification pills sold to hikers and campers have a limited shelf life, especially once the bottle has been opened.

Pour-though filtering systems can be made in an emergency. Here’s one example that will remove many contaminants:

Take a five or seven gallon pail (a 55-gallon drum can also be used for a larger scale system) and drill or punch a series of small holes on the bottom.

Place several layers of cloth on the bottom of the bucket, this can be anything from denim to an old table cloth.

Add a thick layer of sand (preferred) or loose dirt. This will be the main filtering element, so you should add at least half of the pail’s depth.

Add another few layers of cloth, weighted down with a few larger rocks.

Your home-made filter should be several inches below the top of the bucket.

Place another bucket or other collection device under the holes you punched on the bottom.

Pour collected or gathered water into the top of your new filter system. As gravity works, the water will filter through the media and drip out the bottom, into your collection device. If the water is cloudy or full of sediment, simply let it drop to the bottom and draw the cleaner water off the top of your collection device with a straw or tube.

(If you have a stash of activated charcoal, possibly acquired from an aquarium dealer, you can put a layer inside this filter. Place a layer of cloth above and especially below the charcoal. This will remove other contaminants and reduce any unpleasant smell or taste).

While this system may not be the best purification method, it has been successfully used in the past. For rain water or water gathered from what appear to be relatively clean sources of running water, the system should work fine. If you have no water source but a contaminated puddle, oily highway runoff or similar polluted source, the filter may be better than nothing.

Shelter

Frequently, when we think of shelter, we think of either our home or emergency protection, such as a lean-to constructed out of cut branches.

In many survival situations, shelter may be as near as your home. If you don’t need to evacuate, you may be better off at home, even if the power is off or the storm is threatening. Remember, your bug-out bag has the bare essentials; your survival stash at home should have enough food and water for weeks or even months.

If you are at home or in the vicinity during a natural disaster, your first course of action must be to determine where you will be safest. If you decide not to evacuate, you must then set about making your current residence as safe as possible. In many cases, this will mean moving into the basement or another protected part of the house. In an apartment or condominium, your best bet will probably be an interior room without windows, or even the basement of the apartment complex.

While many will find that there home, friend’s apartment or relative’s house is the easiest and most cost-effective safe house, the ultimate safe house or survival retreat would be a second residence located in a very rural location. During normal times, this survival retreat can double as your vacation home, hunting lodge or weekend getaway destination. But when the flag goes up, you can evacuate to a safe house fully stocked with everything you need for self sufficiency.

Safe Home should be:

Well off the beaten track, ideally reachable by a single dirt road. This seclusion will offer you a good bit of protection. For example, you can cut a large tree down across the road to help eliminate unwanted guests.

Near a spring, well, stream or other natural source of water.

Equipped with at least a fireplace or wood stove for cooking and heat.

Within 10 to 20 miles of a village or small town where you can go (by foot, if necessary) for additional supplies, news and other contact with the outside world, should the emergency stretch into months or longer.

Arable enough land to grow your own vegetables and other crops.

Near a natural, easily harvestable food source (usually wildlife for hunting or fishing).

Provisioned with enough food to keep your family safe for at least three months, preferably a year.

Provisioned with tools necessary for long-term self sufficiency, should it become necessary.

Stocked with enough weapons and ammunition to defend it from small groups of marauding invaders, should it come to that.

If you are worried about caching goods in a unattended house, where they could be stolen, you can cache a supply nearby. While most caches are buried in hidden locations, a simple solution to this dilemma is to rent a commercial storage unit in a town close to your retreat. This has several advantages:

As long as you have access to the facility 24 hours a day (one of those outside storage areas where you use your own lock is best) you can get to your supplies when necessary.

It will be much easier to make a few trips to and from the nearby storage facility and your safe house than carry everything with you from home.

It’s easier to check on the status and add materials to this type of cache than one buried in a secluded location.

In a worst case scenario, you can hoof it to the storage area, spend the night inside and hike back the next day with a full backpack.

Of course, for the ultimate protection, a buried or other hidden cache is hard to beat. The is especially true for the long-term storage of ammunition and weapons that are or may one day be considered illegal.

Chapter 2: Beyond the Basic

Based on the previous section, you should have a good idea of the potential survival situations you might be facing. Now the question is whether to stay and face them or move to another, safer location.

At the first hint of trouble and rising prices, visit the local food warehouse and grocery stores and buy as much as you can afford. Get the 50 pound bags of rice and the 25 pound bags of flour. Use your credit cards and part of your emergency cash stash, if necessary.

Hunker down at home and protect what is yours.

Keep a low profile and avoid contact with others, except fellow members of your survival group. Avoid trouble and confrontations.

Hope that within six months the country will have recovered or at least stabilized. If not, the population will probably be a lot smaller when this is over.

We all have a strong desire to protect what’s ours. Thankfully, there are times when staying at home makes the most sense. If you can wait out the events of December 21, 2012 at your home, batten down the hatches and stay at home, it may be your best bet. There are many advantages to staying home in a survival situation, if you can safely do so:

The food in your refrigerator and pantry can supplement your survival stash (see the previous chapter).

If you loose power, you can quickly cook much of your food and monitor the temperature of your freezer (frozen food will usually keep at least 24 hours).

You’ll have more time to improve your home’s chances of survival (move items to high ground, put plywood over windows, etc.)

It offers shelter against most elements*.

You’ll have access to all your clothing, bedding and other comforts.

You won’t suffer from boredom as much as you might in a shelter.

You can protect your stuff from looters.

Of course, there is a downside as well:

You could be putting yourself in unnecessary, life-threatening danger. (The polar shift, flood, hurricane, riot, asteroid, volcano etc. might be worse than anticipated).

You will be without heat, electricity, hot water and other services.

You may feel cut off and alone.

*will not protect against any radiation

When disaster strikes, home isn’t the only option.

In a large building, you can count on a security force that will probably be smart enough to lock the doors and take some action to prevent access to the building by a crowd. If you think the building is being overrun by rioters, pull the fire alarm. This will result in all the elevators being recalled to the lobby and they won’t run again until they are reset.

On your floor or in your suite, bar the door, check your personal weapon and, if there are enough people present, assign some people to stand guard. If you are alone on the floor, or there are invaders in the building, look for a good hiding place.

Shopping centers, fast food restaurants and other public buildings also may offer some protection when disasters strikes, but they could be targets for looting, so you will want to avoid them. In a severe survival situation, you need to look out for your immediate family. So if you’re trying to get out of the city in an emergency and your car breaks down, who’s going to blame you for breaking into that empty house and seeking shelter? In a life-or-death situation, property crimes will be the least of your worries.

No matter how much you wish to stay at home, there are times when evacuation is the only choice. These include an asteroid, tsunami, nuclear or biological event as well as any impending disaster that is likely to destroy your home. So, if the survival situations you outlined in the previous section show several emergency situations requiring evacuation, you’ll need to put together a plan:

The Evacuation Plan

There are several important elements to your evacuation plan:

Where to go

How to get there

What to bring with you

Sure, you can head to the nearest shelter, but if sitting on cots at the local high school gymnasium or National Guard Armory was your first choice, you probably wouldn’t be reading this.

You need a safe house or survival retreat in a location where the current crisis will not threaten you. The easiest way to set up a safe house is to coordinate with a friend or family member located between 100 and 150 miles away, preferably in a different setting. For example:

If you’re in the inner city, they should be in a rural area or at least a smaller town, preferably not the suburbs of your city

If you’re near the coast, they should be inland

If you’re near a flood plain, the safe house should be on higher ground.

Following these guidelines, you can be relatively sure of several things:

Whatever disaster you are facing should not affect them, and vice versa. This allows you to trade off, so when they are facing a survival situation, your home can be their safe house.

If you plan in advance, you can leave a few changes of old clothes, a toiletries kit, necessary prescription drugs, ammunition, some MRE’s or anything else you might need at the safe house. This will make your evacuation easier.

Chapter 3: Disasters

Floods

The best way to prevent damage from flooding is to move before one occurs. Seriously, don’t live on a flood plain unless you have no choice. If you learned anything in the last decade, it should be floods can and do occur in low-lying areas previously thought safe. Rivers and streams rise to record levels, levy’s break, and there’s just too much concrete for the ground to absorb all that rain.

If you’re stuck in a flood, follow your instincts and move to the highest ground possible. Exercise caution when traveling because it doesn’t take much water to float a car or pick up truck.

Earthquakes

The old advice of standing in a doorway or hiding in the closet or under a table is better than running around panic-stricken, and it may just save your life. If you live in an earth-quake prone area, prepare for it by ensuring your home meets current building standards and you have plenty of food and water stashed away.

If you live through the few minutes of the earthquake, and your house hasn’t collapsed, the greater damage may be yet to come. Broken gas lines can cause fires and your house may be condemned, leaving you homeless. Plan for such contingencies by having a plastic (non-sparking) wrench available to turn off your gas main and including a good three-day pack including a tent.

Hurricanes

Hurricanes are one of the few disasters for which you can anticipate some warning. If your home is near the shore and the rising surf is threatening, or you appear to be in the direct course of the hurricane, you may be better off evacuating to higher ground. Whether or not you choose to evacuate, tremendous structural damage can be caused by objects hurled through windows. Once a window is open, the power of the hurricane can actually blow the roof off the top of the structure!

To protect yourself and your property, windows should be covered with plywood or commercial hurricane shutters. 2012 Online recommends hurricane shutters, made from tough clear polycarbonate and allow light to enter the window, unlike their steel and aluminum counterparts. Garage doors should also be reinforced and the door between the garage and the house itself should be locked and secured.

Hurricanes cause damage in multiple ways: high winds, flooding, downed trees and utility poles and storm surges. The farther in-land your location, the less power the hurricane will have by the time it reaches you, so pick your location carefully.

If you decided to stay in your home, you should pick an interior room with no windows. If you plan far enough in advance, you can reinforce the room with 2×6 boards or otherwise construct a cage to protect you from fallen trees, caved-in walls or other storm damage. Move whatever survival supplies you will need into the room, especially a battery powered light and radio.

Tornadoes

While tornadoes cannot be predicted as early as hurricanes, current weather forecasting technology will often tell us when atmospheric conditions are right for their formation. By sticking around the homestead during a tornado watch, you can help protect yourself from the tremendous damage twisters can cause.

A direct hit from a funnel cloud can turn a wooden home into a pile of chopsticks, toss a minivan around like a tumbleweed and knock trees down faster than Paul Bunyon. So if you live in a tornado-prone area, you might be wise to invest in an underground shelter, ala the Wizard of Oz. (You can use it as a root cellar or nuclear survival shelter as well.)

If you live in an area not known for tornadoes, but suddenly one is baring down on you, your next-best bet is the basement, preferably in the corner closest to the direction of the tornado.

If you are driving around and a tornado is looming, park under an underpass and run up as high as you can under it. If caught out in the open, head for the lowest ground possible, even a drainage ditch is better than nothing.

Fire(s)

If a fire occurs in your home you may have to get out in dark and difficult conditions. Escaping from a fire will be a lot easier if you have already planned your escape route and know where to go. Make sure that your planned escape route remains free of any obstructions and that there are no loose floor coverings that could trip you. Everyone in the house should be made aware of the escape route

It only takes an unguarded or careless moment for a fire to start. A couple of minutes later and your home or land around could be filled with smoke. Smoke and fumes can kill, particularly the highly poisonous smoke from some furnishings. You will only have a short time to get out. Use it wisely and try not to panic.

If you can safely do so, close the door of the room where the fire has started and close all other doors behind you. This will help delay the spread of smoke.

Before opening a closed door, use the back of your hand to touch it. Don’t open it if it feels warm, the fire may be on the other side.

Get everyone out as quickly as possible. Don’t try to pick up valuables or possessions except your what you need for survival.

Make your way out as safely as possible and try not to panic.

It will help if you have planned your escape route rather than waiting until there is a fire.

What to do if you’re cut off by fire

It is not easy, but try and remain calm. Save your energy to help you survive

If you are prevented from getting away because of flames or smoke, close the door nearest to the fire and use towels or sheets to block any gaps. This will help stop smoke spreading into the room.

Go to the window. If the room becomes smoky, go down to floor level – it’s easier to breathe because the smoke will rise upwards.

If you are in immediate danger and your room is not too high from the ground, drop cushions or bedding to the ground below to break your fall from the window.

Get out feet first and lower yourself to the full length of your arms before dropping.

Wilderness Fires

If you are caught in the middle of a dangerous fire storm, your best option is to seek a water source and stay near it. Go under ground if possible, but you need to leave an escape route if the fire changes course. With any fire situation, you always need to know escape routes and have back up plans.

Volcanic Eruption

Keep in mind the center of Earth is molten rock, and a volcanic eruption can occur almost anywhere, but there is not much an individual can do to prepare for a volcanic eruption. Be aware of the hazards that can come with an eruption: the flying debris, hot gases, lava flows, and potential for explosion, mudslides, avalanches, and geothermal areas. Prepare provisions, water, food, blankets, and medical supplies if you live around a volcano before anything happens.

Also be ready to get up and outrun flowing lava.

Use caution when around or near active volcanoes.

Do not venture toward any activity, and consult local experts on the area.

Follow all recommendations, regulations, or requests of officials.

Here are some things to watch out for:

Lava flows – Stay away from lava flows. Not all of them will be red-hot and obvious; some move very slowly and appear as dark and solid, but are liquid beneath the surface. Also, do not try to cross an active flow; you might get trapped by multiple lava streams.

Pyroclastic flow – Do not visit volcanoes that are having or are about to have Pyroclastic explosions. The high temperature around such a volcano can itself be life-threatening.

Volcanic domes – Volcanic domes and plugs in craters may seem harmless, but they can explode without warning. Footing and glassy rocks can also be very dangerous. Some cooled lava of this sort can resemble jagged pieces of glass. Wear good, solid hiking boots on the mountain – never go barefoot. Be sure of your step.

Lahars and floods – Be careful when crossing lahars (debris flows), for they can gush in large and small floods.

Gases – Avoid areas where volcanic gas is released. Carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide can kill quickly and silently. You may not be able to hold your breath long enough. If you see a location around an active volcano with dead vegetation, carcasses, or bones, do not enter it.

Geothermal areas – hot springs, mud pots, and geysers are also very interesting, but don’t go across unexplored areas that contain many of them. Stay on marked trails, because the thin silica crusts over boiling pools can break if stepped upon. If you Fall in, it can potentially cause third-degree burns or even death.

Before an Eruption Occurs:

Discover whether there are volcanic hazards in the area likely to affect you.

If you live in an active volcanic zone, always assume that you may have to deal with the effects of an eruption.

If you live in an area that could experience a lava flow during a volcanic eruption, know a quick route to safe ground.

If Vulcanologists agree that a life-threatening eruption is likely to take place, a Civil Defense Emergency will be declared and the danger area evacuated. Listen to your radio or TV if all is working, for information.

During an Eruption:

Save water in your bath, basin, containers or cylinders at an early stage – supplies may become polluted.

Stay indoors as much as possible.

Wear mask and goggles if you go outside, to keep volcanic ash out of your eyes and lungs.

Take your outdoor clothing off before entering a building, volcanic ash is difficult to get rid of.

Take your Getaway Kit with you if you have to leave. Turn electricity and gas off at the mains. If you turn gas off, have a professional check for leaks in case of damage before turning gas on again.

Keep below ridge lines in hilly terrain, the hills will offer some protection from flying volcanic debris.

A good pre-planned emergency plan should account for this possibility and provide alternative routes.

Near Earth Objects (NEO’s)

A reasonably large asteroid of 200 meters (600 feet) in diameter crashing into the Atlantic Ocean could create a tsunami (a giant tidal wave) that would sink both Britain and the entire East Coast of the United States within minutes. If an asteroid at least 1 kilometer in size hit Earth, it would cause a dust cloud which would block out sunlight for at least a year and lead to a deep worldwide winter, exhausting food supplies.

So this threat is real, but the chances of an NEO over one kilometer (3,000 feet) long hitting the Earth soon are practically 1-100. Even so you do need to have an contingency plan in place if this was to happen. The evidence of impact is all around us. But we will focus on the smaller car size asteroids in this section, because if there was a massive asteroid heading our way we would be given advanced warning (hopefully).

So what do you do

For a land impact, it can be said that an object of roughly 75 meters (225 feet) diameter can probably destroy a city and a 160-meter (480-foot) object can destroy a large urban area. If there is an expecting meteor shower, stay tuned to local government officials and monitor the sky.

Impacts from smaller object are almost impossible to predict the impact zone

If you live near a cave system, you may want to go and set up a temporary shelter there, or if you live in the city, go to the lowest point of the building (in an emergency, but not recommended due to possible building collapse). Other possibilities are:

Nuclear fallout shelters

Steel structures

Subway systems

Do not:

Stay outside during a meteor storm

Stay on the top of buildings

Go to the debris of the Meteor 

Always have your survival stash available

Extreme Cold

While people do die in their homes due to bitter winter weather, these deaths are often caused by kerosene heaters or other sources of heat. Fire is a danger with any secondary heat source, including wood stoves, fireplaces, kerosene, propane and electric heaters, but they can be managed to reduce fire hazards. Carbon monoxide poisoning is also a concern which must be considered when using untraditional heat sources, such as gathering around the gas oven and opening the door.

 Another danger is freezing to death if the power fails. People often think they will be OK because they have a gas or oil furnace. This is a fallacy, because the gas furnace needs an electric fan to move warm air throughout your house while even the oil furnace probably has an electric starter and/or fuel pump.

 A secondary source of heat is important, and wood stoves are probably the most efficient. While fire places send much of the heat up the chimney they share with wood stoves the conveniences of being able to find fuel all around you, from books to furniture. (Let’s face it, most of have too much junk in our houses anyway.) You can also cook over them in a pinch, and when the blizzard is howling around your house, a cup of hot chocolate tastes twice as good and restores the spirits.

Kerosene and propane heaters can also crank out the BTUs in an emergency but probably require ventilation (check the manufacturer’s literature for specifics).

A key to keeping warm with these back-up heat sources is not to try to heat the entire shelter. Gather everything you think you might need into a single space and close it off. Use any blankets you can spare over openings, if necessary to reduce drafts. Gather together under your comforters and share your body heat.

If you find yourself in open terrain, a snow cave will provide good shelter. Find a drift and burrow a tunnel into the side for about 60 cm (24 in) then build your chamber. The entrance of the tunnel should lead to the lowest level of you chamber where the cooking and storage of equipment will be. A minimum of two ventilating holes are necessary, preferably one in the roof and one in the door.

Extreme Heat

Prepare ahead of time for the hottest days that may come. Freeze gallons of water in big blocks of ice if you have a large freezer (like we discussed in the previous chapters). Refilling plastic gallon water bottles with tap water and freezing works well. The larger the blocks of ice you have the longer they will take to melt when you need them so go for gallon size containers if you have the freezer space. These blocks of ice can be used to cool a fragile person by placing on a thick towel in a shallow pan and fanning the air with a hand held fan over the ice and over the persons head and neck area. They can also be used by wrapping them in a pillow case and placing them around the head, in the armpit area, and in the groin area. Be extremely cautious not to allow the ice to contact the skin. Place several layers of material between the skin and ice to prevent frostbite and check every few minutes to make sure you are not freezing the tissue.

Symptoms of dehydration

It is very important to recognize the first dehydration symptoms and act before your state becomes serious. Described below are the most common first symptoms of dehydration:

Fatigue

Dark urine with a very strong odor

Low urine output

Emotional instability

Delayed capillary refill in fingernail beds

Loss of skin elasticity

Trench line down center of tongue

Thirst

Avoid overheating

When you overheat, your body starts to sweat. This may be good because naturally the body is trying to cool itself, but overtime too much sweat wastes your precious water supply. Always adjust your clothing so that you don’t sweat too much. Open your jacket a little bit or remove an inner layer of your clothing.

Wear loose clothes

Do not expose your body directly to the sun

Protect your head

Find time to rest under a shaded area

If you’re wearing your clothes too tight you may restrict blood circulation. It can also decrease the volume of air between the layers, which reduces the cooling value.

Solar Radiation

On Earth, solar radiation is obvious as daylight when the sun is above the horizon. This is during daytime, and also in summer near the poles at night, but not at all in winter near the poles. When the direct radiation is not blocked by clouds, it is experienced as sunshine, combining the perception of bright white light (sunlight in the strict sense) and warming. The warming on the body and surfaces of other objects is distinguished from the increase in air temperature.

Increased solar rays could possibly happen here on Earth, and you need to do what ever necessary to stay out of the Sun during the day. If there is a possible Red/Brown Dwarf the solar ray can be amplified ten fold as the object gets closer to Earth.

So what do you do

Previously mentioned, make sure to stay out of direct sunlight, or if you feel immediate warming to your skin you need to seek cover. This will not protect you fully but lessen the amount of radiation you receive.

Seek your shelter; preferably a cave or underground structure will help with the defense

Put on your PPE if you need to venture out during the day (see the next chapter)

Polar Reversal/Shift

In the next few years, polar reversal will take place on earth. This could possibly mean that the North Pole will be changed into the South Pole and South to North. The science can only be explained by the fact that the earth will start rotating in the opposite direction, together with a huge disaster of unknown proportions. Or the poles could actually shift positions by a few miles which would still cause unwanted disasters.

See previous disasters which would be caused by this shift (minus the asteroids)

Riot/Civil Disaster

After a disaster, you may have to protect your home and belongings from looters. Sure, they’ll probably march out the National Guard, but like the police, they can’t be everywhere all the time. Just as you are assuming responsibility for your survival by reading this guide, you’ll need to assume responsibility for protecting yourself from human predators.

Tsunami

A tsunami is a series of destructive and very dangerous waves that result from earthquake activity or some other type of underwater disturbance (meteorite, landslide, underwater volcanic activity etc.). In order to survive a tsunami, you must be prepared, vigilant, and calm.

Your at risk if:

Your home, school, or workplace is in a coastal region, near the sea

The elevation of your home, school or workplace is at sea level or fairly low and on flat

or only slightly elevated land. If you don’t know the elevation level of your home, school or workplace, find out

There are warning signs indicating that your area is prone to tsunamis

Your home, school, workplace etc. buildings are not tsunami resistant

Prepare in advance. If your research demonstrates that you are at risk, prepare both an evacuation plan and your survival stash.

Natural warnings can help to indicate the imminent arrival of a tsunami. Be aware that in many cases, these may be the only warnings you will get in the coming years. Be self-responsible and keep you and your family, friends and colleagues safe. Natural signs that herald the possibility of a coming tsunami include:

An earthquake: If you live in a coastal zone (by the sea), the occurrence of an earthquake should be immediate cause for alarm and evasive action.

Rumbling under the ground: Even if there is no actual “earthquake” but you can perceive sizable rumbling under the ground, heed this warning.

A rapid rise and fall in coastal waters. If the sea suddenly recedes, leaving bare sand, this is a major warning sign that there is about to be a sudden surge of water inland.

Watch for animals leaving the area or behaving abnormally, such as trying to seek human shelter or grouping together in ways they would not normally do.

Take action

If a tsunami is likely to make landfall on your coastal region, react immediately. Put into place the Evacuation Plan.

Move immediate movement away from the coast, lagoons or other bodies of water next to the coast is essential.

Head inland: This means going up to higher ground and even into hills or mountains.

Climb high: If you cannot head inland because you are trapped, head up. Although not ideal, if this is your only option, choose a high, sturdy and solid building and climb up it. Go as high as you possibly can, even onto the roof or sturdy trees.

React quickly if you are stranded in the water. If you did not manage to evacuate but find yourself caught up in the tsunami, there are things that you can do to try and survive:

Grab onto something that floats

Abandon belongings

Keep away for at least half a day, if not longer. A tsunami comes in waves

Try to get reliable information

A good pre-planned emergency plan should account for this possibility and provide alternative routes. Go into survival mode and be prepared for anything else that could happen, do not let your guard down.

Electricity Shortage

We have lived without it in the past, and we can live without it now.

That is simple to say when we rely so heavily on the use of electricity. It just make our lives that much easier, so in the event of a disaster and after you have made it to a safe haven, it is time now to review the basics.

Generators are a good way to provide energy, but awfully hard to lug around and are dependant upon a natural resource that may or may not be readily available. So you should plan for the worst, break out the matches.

Alien Invasion

At the time this survival guide was written, there is no information on how to maintain your existence if alien invaders showed up to visit. With that said, 2012 Online recommends hiding. 

Chapter 4: How To

Fires

The ability to construct and know how to make a fire can make the difference between life and death in a survival situation. Fire making is one of the most vital survival skills. You should practice and learn different methods so you know how to start a fire anywhere, and under any condition.

Several needs:

A fire can fulfill several needs. It can keep you warm and dry. You can use it to cook food, purify water and to sterilize bandages. It can scare away dangerous animals and its smoke can keeps flying insects at bay.

To make a fire you have to understand that there are three components needed: air, heat and fuel. The correct ratio of these components is very important for a fire to burn at its greatest capability

Preparation

You will have to decide what site and arrangement to use. Before building a fire consider:

The area (terrain and climate) in which you are operating

The materials and tools available

Time: how much time you have

Need: why you need a fire

Security: do you want unwanted attention

Look for a dry spot that:

Is protected from the wind

Is suitably placed in relation to your shelter (if any)

Will concentrate the heat in the direction you desire

Has a supply of wood or other fuel available

If you are in a wooded or brush-covered area, clear the brush and scrape the surface soil from the spot you have selected. Clear a circle at least 1 meter in diameter so there is little chance of the fire spreading. If time allows, construct a fire wall using logs or rocks. This wall will help to reflector direct the heat where you want it. It will also reduce flying sparks and cut down on the amount of wind blowing into the fire. However, you will need enough wind to keep the fire burning. In some situations, you may find that an underground fireplace will best meet your needs. It conceals the fire and serves well for cooking food. To make an underground fireplace:

Dig a hole in the ground.

On the upwind side of this hole, poke or dig a large connecting hole for ventilation.

Build your fire in the hole

Battery

Use a battery to generate a spark. Use of this method depends on the type of battery available. Attach a wire to each terminal. Touch the ends of the bare wires together next to the tinder so the sparks will ignite it.

Flint and Steel

The direct spark method is the easiest of the primitive methods to use. The flint and steel method is the most reliable of the direct spark methods. Strike a flint or other hard, sharp-edged rock edge with a piece of carbon steel (stainless steel will not produce a good spark). This method requires a loose-jointed wrist and practice. When a spark has caught in the tinder, blow on it. The spark will spread and burst into flames.

Fire-Plow

The fire-plow is a friction method of ignition. You rub a hardwood shaft against a softer wood base. To use this method, cut a straight groove in the base and plow the blunt tip of the shaft up and down the groove. The plowing action of the shaft pushes out small particles of wood fibers. Then, as you apply more pressure on each stroke, the friction ignites the wood particles.

Shelters

If you find yourself not around any structures or your survival shelter, or if it’s not safe, a temporary shelter may be raised up in the wilderness. A small shelter which is insulated from the bottom, protected from the elements and contains a fire is extremely important in your survival situation. Before building your shelter be sure that the surrounding area provides the materials needed to build a good fire, and a good water source.

Wilderness shelters may include:

1. Natural shelters such as caves and overhanging cliffs. When exploring a possible shelter tie a piece of string to the outer mouth of the cave to ensure you will be able to find your way out. Keep in mind that these caves may already be occupied. If you do use a cave for shelter, build your fire near its mouth to prevent animals from entering.

2. Enlarge the natural pit under a fallen tree and line it with bark or tree boughs

3. Near a rocky coastal area, build a rock shelter in the shape of a U, covering the roof with driftwood and a tarp or even seaweed for protection

First Aid

If an accident occurs in the wilderness it will be your responsibility to deal with the situation. The specific sequence of actions when dealing with this situation is:

Remain calm, providing your patient with quiet, efficient first aid treatment

Keep the person warm and lying down. Do not move this injured person until you have discovered the extent of the injuries

Start mouth-to-mouth resuscitation immediately if the injured person is not breathing

Stop any bleeding

Watch carefully for signs of shock

Check for cuts, fractures, breaks and injuries to the head, neck or spine

Do not allow people to crowd the injured person

Do not remove clothing unless it is imperative

Decide if the person can be moved to a proper medical facility. If this is not possible, prepare a suitable living area in which shelter, heat and food are provided

Shock

Shock is a depression of all of the body processes and may follow any injury regardless of how minor. Factors such as hemorrhage, cold and pain will intensify shock. When experiencing shock the patient will feel weak and may faint. The skin becomes cold and clammy and the pulse, weak and rapid. Shock can be more serious than the injury itself.

Use the following method to prevent and control shock:

1. If there are no head or chest injuries, place the patient on his/her back with the head and chest lower than the legs. This will help the blood circulate to the brain, heart, lungs and other major organs.

2. If severe head and chest injuries are present elevate the upper body. If chest injuries are present, elevate the injured side to assist in the functioning of the uninjured lung.

3. If the injured person becomes unconscious, place him/her in a face down position to prevent choking on blood, vomit or the tongue.

4. Keep your patient warm and under shelter.

Stopped Breathing

If breathing has stopped, begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Place the patient on his/her back and follow these steps:

1. To open the airway lift the person’s neck and tilt the head back

2. Keep the neck elevated; pinch the nostrils to prevent air leakage

3. Place your mouth completely around the person

                                                                                       By Dr. Ashok Kumar Panigrahi

Definition of Disaster

The National Disaster Management Act 2005 defines, “Disaster is a catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence affecting an area, arising from natural or manmade causes, or by accident or negligence which results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, and destruction of, property, or damage to, or degradation of, environment, and is of such a nature or magnitude as beyond the coping capacity of the community of the affected area”.

It remains to be seen as how are we going to interpret an event when terms like catastrophe, mishap, calamity and grave occurrence      co-exist and will naturally be seen as interchangeable. As if to complicate the matters further, the definition hangs on the knife edge of local coping capacity. Suppose there are two identical events at two different locations A and B, and the local coping capacity at A is higher than that required to manage the event whereas at B the local coping capacity is much lower. Clearly it would mean that the same event would be recognized as a disaster at location B but not at location A.?

The United Nations UNDRO Disaster Management Training Manual defines, “Disaster as a serious disruption of the functioning of a society, causing widespread human, material, or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected society to cope using only its own resources.

The UNDRO 1987, cited in Hanisch 1996, define disasters in the following way, “A disaster is an event that is concentrated in space and time and that subject a society to severe danger and such serious losses of human life or such major material damage that the local social structure breaks down and the society is unable to perform any or some of its key functions.”

The High Powered Committee of the Government of India, in its October 2001 Report defines “Disaster is an occurrence of a severity and magnitude that normally results in deaths, injuries and property damage that cannot be managed through the routine procedures and resources of government. It usually develops suddenly and unexpectedly and requires immediate, coordinated and effective response by multiple government and private sector organizations to meet human needs and speedy recovery”

The definition of disaster provided by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) is relatively simpler. CRED defines, “A disaster is a situation or event which overwhelms local capacity, necessitating a request to national or international level for external assistance; an unforeseen and often sudden event that causes great damage, destruction and human suffering.” Then it goes on to add that for a disaster to be entered into the database, at least one of the following criteria must be fulfilled: (1) ten or more people recorded killed (2)100 people reported affected (3) declaration of State of Emergency and (4) call for international assistance . Clearly the difficulty of the kind faced in the definition given in the Act does not arise if such a definition is used.

Distinguishing Disasters and Crises

Natural                                          

* Droughts
* Floods
* Earthquakes
* Land slides
* Cloud bursts
* Cyclones

Man Made

* Air, rail and road accidents

* Industrial accidents

* Civil commotions and unrests

* Terrorism and terrorist strikes

The High Powered Committee set up by the Govt. of India, in 2001, has identified 31 disasters and classified them into the following 5 groups -    

I. Water and Climate-related Disasters-

1. Floods and drainage 2. Cyclones 3. Tornadoes and hurricanes 4. Hail storms 5. Cloud bursts 6. Heat wave and cold wave 7. Snow avalanches 8. Droughts 9. Sea Erosion 10. Thunder and lightening

II. Geological Disasters

1. Land slides and mud flows 2. Earthquakes 3. Dam failures / Dam Bursts 4. Mine fires

III. Chemical/Industrial/Nuclear  
    Disasters

1. Chemical and industrial disasters 2. Nuclear disasters

IV. Accident-related Disasters

1. Forest fires 2. Urban fires 3. Mine flooding and fires 4. Oil spills 5. Major building collapses 6. Serial bomb blasts 7. Festival related disasters 8. Electrical disasters and fires 9. Air, road and rail accidents 10. Boat capsizing 11. Village fires

V. Biological Disasters

1. Biological disasters and epidemics 2. Pest attacks 3. Cattle epidemics 4. Food poisoning

India supports one-sixth of the world’s population on just 2% of its landmass. It suffers heavily from natural disasters of every shade and description that hits the poorest of the poor and which is why the considerations of disaster safety deserve prime attention.
According to one estimate, nearly 59 % of India’s land area is prone to earthquakes of moderate to high intensity, nearly 12 % is flood prone, about 8% is cyclone prone, 2% is landslide prone and a long coastline, exceeding 5500 kms is exposed to tsunamis and other sea borne disasters such as storm surges. Drought, regarded as disaster in slow motion, affect as much as 68% of India’s land area. Of the 35 states and union territories, as many as 27 are disaster prone. And if the perceived threats due to other disasters such as chemical and terrorist attacks are added, every square inch of India is vulnerable, calling for immediate attention and sustained effort.

Major Indian Disasters,

1. Droughts 

Approximately 68% of land covering sub-Himalayan and peninsular India is vulnerable. It affects primarily arid, semi-arid and sub-humid regions, states like Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamilnadu, MP, AP, Bihar, UP, Haryana, Orissa, WB, J&K, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Low rainfall during the last two years has caused severe drought conditions in 11 Indian states. An estimated 130 million people – about 15 % of the population – in more than 70,000 villages and 230 urban centers are at risk. Apart from economic loss due to low agricultural production, loss of animal wealth, inadequate nutrition and primary health care, the impact of the drought is likely to retard the development process. The most severely affected states are Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. In droughts, water bodies including lakes, tanks and wells dry up, causing acute scarcity of water. Consequently, the problem of drinking water gets accentuated. For example, as a result of drought of the year 2000 in Gujarat, 25 million people in 9500 villages, four metros, and 79 towns were hit by drinking water scarcity (IRMA – UNICEF, 2000). The animals were the worst affected. In the drought conditions, it is almost impossible to get fodder and water for them. In the recent droughts, for example, thousands of cattle perished in many states because of the deficiency of fodder and drinking water 

All such episodes of severe drought correlate with El Niño-La Nina Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. El Niño-related droughts have also been implicated in periodic declines in Indian agricultural output. Nevertheless, ENSO(LaNina) events that have coincided with abnormally high sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean—in one instance during 1997 and 1998 by up to 3 °C (5 °F)—have resulted in increased oceanic evaporation, resulting in unusually wet weather across India. Such anomalies have occurred during a sustained warm spell that began in the 1990s. A contrasting phenomenon is that, instead of the usual  high pressure air mass over the southern Indian Ocean, an ENSO-related oceanic low pressure convergence center forms; it then continually pulls dry air from Central Asia, desiccating India during what should have been the humid summer monsoon season. This reversed air flow causes India’s droughts. The extent that an ENSO event raises sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific Ocean influences the degree of drought in India.

2. Floods 

India is highly flood prone. Of the total of 62 major rivers, 18 are flood prone and affect an area of 150 Mha. Floods are mainly due to heavy rainfall as a consequence of depressions in the sea and tropical cyclones. On an average 60% of the total damages due to floods in a year are in the states of Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. Kharif crops in these states covering about 40% of the total area is affected. In terms of the monetary value of crop loss, it is 90% of the total damage in these states.. The maximum damage recorded due to floods in India was about Rs. 654 crore in 1980, while that in 1965, was only of Rs. 11 crore. The floodwaters do bring about some positive effect. The alluvial soil brought by the floodwaters is a great boon to agriculture. Besides, in areas like the Sabarmati basin, when moderate floods occur, they are beneficial as they provide the necessary moisture required for raising the crops and help in suppressing the salt present in the soil. 

3. Coastal hazards and sea borne disasters

Coastal India frequently suffers from damaging meteorological events such as tropical cyclones, storm surges, high winds, flooding and coastal erosion. India has a very long coastal line of 5700 km. This is made of 2700 km of the east coast bordering Bay of Bengal and 3000 km of the west coast bordering the Arabian Sea. The Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea together generate about 15-16 tropical cyclones annually of which 2-3 could be very severe. More cyclones occur in the Bay of Bengal than in the Arabian Sea. Cyclone seasons are May and October-November. Months of May and October are known for severe storms. The cyclone surveillance is done by INSAT satellite and powerful cyclone detection RADAR installed at Kolkatta, Paradeep, Vishkapatnam, Machhilipatnam, Chennai, Karaikal, Mumbai, Goa, Cochin and Bhuj. These vigils are so satisfactory that no cyclone can escape detection and it has been possible to issue timely warnings through cyclone warning centres located at Kolkatta, Bhubaneshwar, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

Losses due to Disasters 

Losses due to disasters, both direct and indirect, elude reliable estimates. According to one World Bank estimate, reported direct losses are on the order of $ 30 billion over the past 35 years. In 2005 alone, disasters in India caused direct losses approaching Rs 87,500 Crore.

During the period 1994-98, approximately 120 million people were affected by natural disasters in one-way or the other and according to one estimate economic losses piled to about Rs.28,000 crore. The losses mounted to Rs 47,000 crore during the period 1998-2003. Authentic count of loss of human and cattle life as a whole is not available. International Approach towards Disasters and disaster reductions:                                                 International approach towards disasters and disaster reductions are of recent in nature.                                                            

1. International Decade of Natural Disaster Reduction (1990-2000) 

A big departure from band-aid approach in Natural Disaster Management came from UN General Assembly Resolution 44/236 of 1989 that proclaimed the 1990s as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). The Special High Level Council of IDNDR adopted a 12-point Action Plan. 

2. The Earth Summit (3-14 June 1992) 

The next landmark event is The Earth Summit (3-14 June 1992) that called upon all countries, in particular those that are disaster prone to mitigate the negative impact of natural and man-made disasters on human settlements, national economies and environment. It is here that the Culture of Safety prominently emerged as one of the most cherished targets. 

3. Cartagena Declaration (March 1994) 

The declaration of March 1994 directed disaster studies, which combine social with technical and scientific matters and civil society with government body in order to translate technocratic work in to effective policies of disaster prevention and relief.

4. Yokohama Mid-term Review of IDNDR (23-27 May 1994) 

Upon review of progress of IDNDR, emerged the Yokohama Strategy for Safer World. The main recommendations that emerged were

(1)   Broaden the dialogue related to disaster relief, environment and development,

(2)   Institutionalize the growing culture of meaningful partnerships between national authorities, regional outfits, NGOs, private firms, etc., to ensure that prevention, preparedness and mitigation measures become an acceptable part of the development process. 

5. Millennium Declaration, September 2000. 

The declaration resolved to intensify cooperation to protect the vulnerable, save our common environment and reduce the number and effect of both natural and manmade disasters.

6. Inter-agency Framework for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
UN General Assembly and the Economic and social Council launched International strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR). An interagency secretariat was created to serve as focal point within the UN system in 2000.

7. .World summit on Sustainable Development, 2002 

The Johannesburg Plan on sustainable development, paragraph 37, advocates for an integrated multi-hazard all-inclusive approach to address vulnerability, risk assessment and disaster management including prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery for a safer world in the 21st Century. 

8. Bonn Conference on Early Warning, 2003   

The conference sought effective early warning systems through strengthening of coordination and cooperation among all relevant sectors and actors in the early warning chain

9. Mauritius Strategy for Small Island States, January 2005

Response capacity. It gave a call for enhanced commitments to reduce the vulnerability of small island states, as they usually have inadequate

10. Hyogo Framework for Action  (2005-2015) 

World Conference on Disaster Reduction held in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan during 18-22 January 2005 threw up a framework for action for the decade 2005-15. The priorities set for the decade include enhancement of international and regional cooperation, emphasis on an integrated multi-hazard approach to risk reduction, recognition of cultural diversity, empowerment of communities and local authorities, promotion of the culture of prevention, and recognition that every disaster is also an opportunity and disaster risk reduction is a cross-cutting issue. 

11. United Nations Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (2005-15) 

The declaration aims at disaster risk reduction through revision of teaching curricula at all levels and the use of other formal and informal channels in order to reach youth and children with information so necessary as to effectively prevent and mitigate disasters.

Definition of Disaster Management 

According to the Indian National Disaster Management Act 2005, disaster management means a continuous and integrated process of planning, organizing, coordinating and implementing measures which are necessary or expedient for  – (1) prevention of danger or threat of any disaster (2) mitigation or reduction of risk of any disaster or its severity or consequences (3) capacity building (4) preparedness to deal with any disaster (5) prompt response to any threatening disaster situation or disaster (6) assessing severity or magnitude of effects of any disaster  (7) evacuation rescue and relief and (8) rehabilitation and reconstruction. 

The High Powered Committee of Govt. of India, defined Disaster Management as “a collective term encompassing all aspects of planning for and responding to disasters, including both pre and post disaster activities. It may refer to the management of both the risks and consequences of disasters”. Clearly the term management has emerged as an umbrella term that encompasses the entire disaster cycle, including mitigation. This needs careful noting and wide spread awareness because traditionally the term management was restrictively used to address only post disaster

DNDR Report on Technology for Disaster Reduction undertaken under IDNDR Programme Forum 1999.

Unless the old mindsets get changed, the cause of disaster mitigation will continue to suffer at the hands of traditional disaster managers.  

DROUGHT TOLERANT CROP, RICE DIVERSITY

Orissa is endowed with some drought tolerant native rice varieties, a few of which are of high therapeutic impotence also. Drought stress crops exhibit inhibition of lateral root development as an adaptive response to the stress. The drought response is mediated by the phyto – hormone “abscisic acid,” produced in such plants, which prevent lateral root developments.

Drought tolerant rice varieties do not exhibit much tillering and exhibit vertical root development rather than lateral ones.

PPBSA- NAVDANYA, ORISSA ACCESION AND CONSERVATION OF DROUGHT TOLERANT RICE VARIETIES

Pandursuan-120 days

Baula-150 days

Basumati-140 days

Bedaswarna-145 days

Dasarageti-130 days

Bhuta-150 days

Jhalakseni-140 days

Lakshyahira-150 days

Mahanadi-150 days

Babaganesh-150 days

FLOOD TOLERANT CROP, RICE DIVERSITY

The rice as a crop was brought from the arid uplands to the coastal flood plains centuries ago.

The tall indica rice varieties, thus evolved, have, more or less, the ability to survive

submergence. Some varieties are able to withstand complete submergence for days together.

The gene named “sub IA” has been identified in these rice varieties. Such genes have been

there for long in nature. These native rice varieties are being cultivated in predominantly sub

merged coastal flood plains of Orissa where they remain wholly under water for days together

yet survive to hand over a good yield. These are generally longer days duration varieties with

ability to remain submerged for longer periods than others.

PPBSA- NAVDANYA, ORISSA ACCESION AND CONSERVATION OF FLOOD TOLERANT RICE VARIETIES

Jamainadu -150 days

Panirohi -150 days

Kalameghi -150 days

Panidubi -150 days      

Rabana -150 days

Seulapuni -150 days

SALT TOLERANT RICE DIVERSITY

Under present estimate 10-35% of the world’s agricultural land is salt affected. The mechanism of salt tolerance has been evolved in the nature slowly over a long period of rice cultivation in mostly the saline affected coastal belt of Orissa (and else where also).Some of them can tolerate extreme soil salinity conditions, even can be grown in salt pan land

Orissa salt tolerant land races have caused agronomic miracle both in Nagapattinam and Indonesia (post tsunami) where some of them such as Lunabakada, Bhundi, Kalambank and Dhalasola, provided as disaster response in the area have on an average produced 34 to 54 tillers in the system of rice intensification (SRI) method of rice cultivation.    

Predominant salt- tolerance mechanisms operating plants

1. Restricting the entry of toxic ions at root  level – exclusion

2. Transporting the toxic ions to stem, leaf sheath or older leaves – plant level compartmentation

3. Excretion of salt through salt glands, salt hairs or bladders – secretion

4. Sequestration of the toxic ions to vacuole or cell wall –cell  level compartmentation

Antioxidative enzymes such as catalase (CAT) with 2 isomeric forms like CAT-1 & 2 and peroxidase (POX) with 4 isomeric forms like POX-1,2,3 &4 besides guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) mediate in salt exclusion, secretion and cell and tissue level compartmentation activity in all salt tolerant plants enabling them to survive in harsh inter tidal zones. It is supposed that salt tolerant paddy diversity must have some of these.

It is argued that GM salt tolerant crop varieties can not successfully replace natural diversity; because the lower portion of such plants turn red showing salt stress even after addition of 25% gypsum, where as the native varieties show minimum red ness even without any gypsum application

PPBSA- NAVDANYA, ORISSA COLLECTION AND CONSERVATION, SALT TOLERANT RICE VARIETIES

Bhundi -135 days

Sankarchin -(Aromatic) 150 days

Lunabakada -150 days

Kalambank -135 days

Dudheswar -130 days

Bhaliki -145 days

Disaster Mitigation                             

            According to the Indian Act 2005, “mitigation means measures aimed at reducing the risk, impact or effects of a disaster or a threatening disaster situation”. There is the urgent need to ensure that disaster mitigation strategies get enmeshed and integrated with the very development process. 

State of Balasore Coast at Sartha Estuary after the Orissa Super Cyclone, 1999

During and after the cyclone, the area became devastated. Consequently, all commercial activities in the local market place which had one ice factory with fish packing facility, few merchant shops, doctors’ chambers, hotels and restaurants were abandoned by 2006. A fishing jetty which was under construction was abandoned half way and the built concrete structure damaged beyond recovery. The coast was damaged to such an extent that it became incommunicable and navigable.

Navdanya decided to restore the local ecology through mangrove rejuvenation. A portion of the available mud flat was put under protection using local nets, bamboos and manpower. In 2 years time about 1,60,000 seeds and seedlings of 16 species of mangroves were established in  an area of 35 hectares of mud flat at the site devastated by tidal actions following the cyclone. Some of these newly established plants bore fruits after 2 years and the local community members planted these seeds to gain thick ness.

Expectedly, there was successful eco-restoration in the area within 2 years of mangrove rejuvenation. Those who had abandoned the area started returning and reclaiming their abandoned property. Today the abandoned fishing jetty reminds the eco-destruction of the area following the Orissa super cyclone of 1999.

Some of species of mangroves established in the estuary

Sl No.

Species Name

Hypocotyle

Gen. Characters          

Native Name

No of seeds/ propagules/

Hypocotyles/Rhizome

1.

Kandelia candel

40 cm long hypocotyles

Sinduka

39,100

2.

Rhizophora stylosa

Hypocotyls smooth not exceeding 30 cm

Rai

       20

3.

Rhizophora apiculata

Hypocotyls slender

50 cm long

Rai

  4,400

4.

Rhizophora mucronata

Hypocotyles slender

75 cm long

Rai

     750

5.

 Bruguiera gymnorhiza

18-25 cm long ridged

Bandari

  7,750

6.

Bruguiera sexangula

Hypocotyles stocky

10 cm long

Bandari

  1,150

7.

Bruguiera cylindrica

16 cm long hypocotyles

Kaliachua

12,850

8

 Ceriops decandra

Sharply ridged 12 cm long hypocotyles

Garani

13,500

9.

Aegiceras corniculatum

5-8 cm long hypocotyles

Kharsi

10,300

10.

Xylocarpus granatum

4 lobed fruits with dia. 25 cm

Sisumar

  4,050

11.

Sonneratia alba

Calyx six lobed, ribbed, petals white,tinged red, leaves are ovate.

Orua

    550

12.

Sonneratia apetala

Calyx 4 lobed, stigma mushroom shaped

Kerua

    150

13.

Aegialitis rotundifolia

Hypocotyles 7 cm long, saline tolerance high

Banarua

42,000

14.

Avicennia alba

Seeds conical at top

Kalabani

  3,000

15.

Avicennia officinalis

Seeds almond shaped

Dhalabani

11,000

16.

 Avicennia marina

Seeds squarish to rounded

Singhalabani

  2,000

17.

 Excoecaria agallocha

Exudes white latex on injury fruit 3 lobed schizocarp

Guan

       50

18.

Thespesia populnea

Leaves deeply chordate flower of 2 colors, fruits multi seeded

Habali

  8,000

19.

Pongamia pinnata

Leaves evergreen, ovate, fruits flattened

Karanj

 6,000

20.

Phoenix paludosa

Leaves like date palm but not thorny, fruits small, stem annular

Hental

    20* (did not survive)

21.

Cynometra iripa

Fruits bear a  lateral beak

Singada

    30*(did not germinate)

22.

Acanthus ilicifolius

Gregarious shrub up to

2 m. tall, bluish white flower, leaves spiny margined

Harkanch

4,000 (one thousand survived)

23

Porteresia coractata

Grass like, leaves acicular, margin spinulose serrate

Dhanidhan

Millions have regenerated in the entire area.

Effective Response to Disaster 
Effective and swift response requires  capacity to anticipate problems and take judicious decisions ensuring people’s participation in time. The best way is a scientific analysis of the affected site together with the geo-climatic conditions existing at that site. Crop selection has to be made accordingly.         

1.Nagapattinam (TN), post Tsunami, 2004. Total loss of principal crop, paddy. Navdanya, from its seed bank in Balasore transported 100 quintals of 3 select native salt tolerant varieties and distributed in 3 villages. Crop performance was exceedingly well although they were of longer day duration varieties in the place of their collection. Thus new paddy diversity was established in Nagapattinam

2.Ersama, post Orissa super cyclone, 1999. Total loss of paddy crop with seeds; Navdanya decided to reestablish both paddy and vegetable crops. 100 quintals of 14 native salt and flood resistant paddy seeds were procured from the Navdanya seed banks existing in the coastal district of Balasore having similar geo-climatic conditions and distributed in 3 villages of Gadabishunpur GP through 3 seed banks established with these seeds. In 3 years further, these seeds were spread out to 6 other villages, almost covering Ersama block. Yields of the new seeds were excellent because of the distance between the place of their collection and the place of their new cultivation, the basis of traditional seed exchange system, now obsolete. Vegetable seeds mostly family packs each having 10 to 50 gms of 10 vegetable varieties, enough to support a family, were also distributed to the affected populace.

Innovate Disaster Education 

There should be an open national debate on the dimensions of disaster education and the way it should be imparted. Disaster education ought to be for all people, men or women, young or old, literate or illiterate and it must address their specific needs as individuals and groups. Whereas India needs a breed of experts and specialists on all the diverse aspects of disaster mitigation and management for which enough space is to be found in our universities and higher institutes of learning, a much broader framework alone can meet the demand for disaster education for all. The greatest challenge before us is to change over from the conventional chalk and talk or power-point-disaster-education in piecemeal to the education that breeds holistic perception and the culture of disaster safety by selling excitement and joy of learning in the live laboratories of Nature and not in the confines of the class rooms. 

Even with adequate concern to quality and scope of coverage in any given case, the universities and institutions must not become factories to deliver graduates and post graduates without assessing the job market. Who is going to employ these graduates and post graduates and in what numbers? Thus, the importance of the need of the hour gains paramount importance. National Disaster Management Authority and State Disaster Management Authorities are in the best position to make projections of numbers likely to be needed initially and in the long run, as far as disaster management and mitigation is concerned.. This would bring to fore the wisdom of imparting disaster education in the current curricula to ensure mobility of these students in the global market having learnt the expertise of disaster handling and management.

Disaster Education should become a bridge between research and development (especially on the issues leading to sustainable protection of natural and built environment) at one end and solving of real life problems (consultancy or practice) on the other end.

BAKING

Description: Baking with spice blends and rubs is the healthiest method of preparation as it can be done without adding any oil or fats. Baking is a technique of cooking food by dry heat over a specific period of time, usually in an oven. The dry heat of baking causes its outer surfaces to brown, giving it an attractive appearance and partially sealing in the food’s moisture. To create a moister piece of food, bake at a lower temperature for a slightly longer period of time.

Instructions: Simply coat your favorite spice blend or rub onto your meat or seafood and set in refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove the seasoned food from refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for several minutes before proceeding with your desired cooking method.Cover the inside of a baking pan or sheet with aluminum foil. Then, place wire rack on top of your baking pan or sheet. This will allow any drippings to collect onto the foil below, allowing for easier clean up. Place the prepared meat or seafood on top of the rack, and bake in a pre-heated oven (see recipes for specified cooking times). What could be easier?

Notes: Let meat cool 5-7 minutes before cutting to retain moisture. During the cooking process, heat drives meat’s juices from the surface as it cooks and the juices gather in the center and the center becomes saturated. Letting meats “rest” before slicing allows these juices to slowly seep back towards the surface, resulting in a more consistently moist and flavorful piece of meat.

BROILING

Description: Broiling is a method that is used to quickly cook meats, poultry, and fish.

Instructions: Simply coat your favorite spice blend or rub onto your meat or seafood and set in refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove the seasoned food from refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for several minutes before proceeding with your desired cooking method. To operate the broiler feature of your oven, turn the knob counter-clockwise to the “Broil” position. There will be various levels that you can set your broiler pan on and cooking times will vary, depending on the thickness of the food item, fat content, and personal preference for doneness.

Notes: The broiler compartment is usually a sliding unit located beneath your oven. The door will fold down so that you can easily access to the broiling pan to turn the food over.

GRILLING

Description: Grilling is an outdoor cooking method that is based on direct or indirect dry heat. Instructions: Simply coat your favorite spice blend or rub onto your meat or seafood and set in refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove the seasoned food from refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for several minutes before proceeding with your desired cooking method.In grilling, tender cuts of meat and thick cuts of fish are placed upon a metal wire rack or surface outdoors over heated charcoal briquettes or a gas heated grill.

To light a charcoal grill, arrange enough briquettes spread out onto your pan to exceed the cooking area by 2” all around. Stack the briquettes into a pyramid and coat them with lighter fluid. Wait several minutes to allow fluid to soak into briquettes, and then light with a long match or hand-held igniter (if using pre-soaked briquettes, just ignite after stacking). As the briquettes begin to burn and ash forms on all of the briquettes, arrange briquettes into a single layer using tongs, and set grilling grate over the briquettes. Allow briquettes to obtain a reddish glowing hue before placing food onto grill. This will inform you that the heat is at its optimal cooking temperature.

When using a gas grill, make sure to check all connections between propane tank and grill before turning on grill. For safety reasons, always turn the gas level to a lower setting and press the ignite button to ignite the coils before increasing your heat level. Make sure to replenish your propane tank at most hardware and supply superstores. Please review manufacturer’s instructions prior to operating and cleaning any gas or charcoal grill. Place food items onto grilling grate and cook for several minutes before turning. Avoid turning items frequently as this will slow down the cooking process. Move food away from center of briquettes to cook at a slower rate. Let meat cool 5-7 minutes before cutting to retain moisture. During the cooking process, heat drives meat’s juices from the surface as it cooks and the juices gather in the center and the center becomes saturated. Letting meats “rest” before slicing allows these juices to slowly seep back towards the surface, resulting in a more consistently moist and flavorful piece of meat.

Notes:The choice of using a charcoal or gas grill is entirely up the grillmaster. Whether he or she wants the convenience of a push-button flame courtesy of a gas grill, or the extra pride in properly setting and maintaining a bed of ashen coals, there’s a grill at various price ranges with assorted accessories for everyone.Damp mesquite or hickory wood chips may be added on top of the coals to allow a smoldering effect that provides additional flavor to the food. The high cooking temperatures break down amino acids within the meats, combining with natural sugars, and rise to the surface of the meat to provide the distinctive grilled / browned taste (also known as the Maillard reaction). Tougher cuts of meat should be reserved for slow cooked barbecuing instead of grilling. Occasionally a marinade will help to loosen the toughness of various cuts of meat.

PAN FRYING / SEARING

Description: Pan searing is a method of cooking food where the food is subjected to a high level of heat (450°-500°F) for a short period of time.

Instructions: Simply coat your favorite spice blend or rub onto your meat or seafood and set in refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove the seasoned food from refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for several minutes before proceeding with your desired cooking method.Using a heavy bottomed skillet or pan will help to distribute the high heat evenly for more consistent searing. Turn stove to medium high and place a small amount of olive oil in the pan. Increase the temperature to high, place food in pan (skin side down first if skin still on), and sear for 1-2 minutes. Flip over food and sear for another minute or until desired doneness. This cooking method may create a brownish-crust on the outside of your food, but it will help to seal in the juices of the meat or seafood item.

Notes: To pan sear, you can use a very hot, heavy bottomed skillet or pan (cast-iron is a good option) over a high flame, under a broiler, or in an oven with a high temperature (450°-500°F).