How long would you live if electricity for the whole world went out permanently?

kowcop@aussie.zone to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world – 156 points –

I was having this conversation with my daughter and thought it was an interesting topic.

If an EMP or solar flare took out everything electronic in the whole world (permanently), how long do you think it would take for you to die, given your current location and circumstances.

I believe my daughter thinks we would live a lot longer than I do, but she is thinking about how long she can live without the internet while I am thinking the world will quickly descend into anarchy.

With no traditional forms of transport, so supplies would dry up, limited resources, health etc, law and order would be a challenge as things become more desperate.

I think I would live for about 3 months. I would try to get the family somewhere safe and remote and come back later, but I think most people would have the same idea.

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Hopefully quite a while. I'm regularly in the wilderness, a holiday is 2-3 weeks off-grid. The only thing I use electricity for is lighting (torches and camp) and music/radio, powered off battery's that are handled by solar.

I aim to extend food by fishing, which usually is week 2 after my stored meat is gone and I need more protein. I have a couple of different weighted bows, but rarely hunt as it requires extra licensing. Lots and lots and lots of expedition-level outdoor/survival gear.

Combine that all with still having a house for shelter, should be fine. Love a book and crosswords for non-electric entertainment, otherwise mountain biking or rock climbing. I won't get bored.

I think fish wouldnt be as available as you think, since tons of desperate people will use less than ethical means to harvest every edible, living thing from the river systems.

Leaving to massive ecological damage, and possibly massive contamination as well.

I think your point would be true in a high population city in a high population nation where most of it is accessible to the average person.

I live in Australia, though.

Fishing requires gear, skill, and knowledge. For much of our fish abundance the average person wouldn't survive getting to the area or know what to do once they got there. This is why they have untouched abundance.

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