Providing Non-food Needs if Industry is Disabled

Feeding Everyone No Matter What

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A number of risks could cause widespread electrical failure and temporary global electronics loss, including a series of high-altitude electromagnetic pulses (HEMPs) caused by nuclear weapons, an extreme solar storm, and a coordinated computer virus attack. Since modern industry depends on electricity and electronics, it is likely that much industry would be temporarily halted. The most challenging need to be met in these scenarios is likely to be food, and this is analyzed elsewhere in this conference. However, without industry, food cannot easily be shipped around the world, so one method to maintain the human population without widespread use of electricity in an emergency is relocating people to the food sources. We find that this is possible even in the worst-case scenario by retrofitting ships to be wind powered. We also discuss solutions for non-industry inland transportation, water supply and treatment, and heating of buildings. We find that the nonfood needs could be met for nearly everyone in the short and medium term.

Keywords

solar storm, high-altitude electromagnetic pulse, computer virus, global catastrophic risk, existential risk, industry, electricity

See also

Additional Information

Davos IDRC Conference

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