Russia and Ukraine, US preppers in high doh, potential impacts here?

[BiddyPop]

A number of US and Canadian based preppers seem to be getting even more anxious about the potential for DOOOOOOMMMMMM than usual - partly transport and logistics issues, but also theories about "government interference" and impending potential conflict situations.

Here, I am seeing

• Bird flu outbreaks happening (no longer just warnings and odd tiny spots)

-Potential that Russia will invade Ukraine thus shutting off gas supplies to Europe causing even more energy price increases/potentially shortage of supply

• Continuing logistics issues caused by the combination of Covid and Brexit
• Relatively high inflation on food and many other items

But, on the less pessimistic side:

• the weather is not as bad as many years,
• there is food on the shelves in shops, (gaps yes, but plenty of food)
• lots of countries are trying to talk Russia down,
• Covid is less of an issue as Omicron is making people so much less sick in general, even if it is making more people mildly sick
• and China is being very quiet at the moment.

So I'm trying to decide if I should be optimistic or pessimistic (currently at a point of starting to use up some of my back up supplies and run down stores again, but wondering if I should just be turning them over and replacing what I use rather than depleting them).

And if I should be looking at things like water purification systems or other areas of prepping (am ok for alternative cooking, reasonable alternative heating, some backup power and some water storage etc).

We have a fire spot in the garden for cooking on in the summer but problem is, half the summer we can't use it because of forest fire warnings and that's only going to get worse the way the climate is going.

Canadian Prepper is in the highest of dohs.

I grew up with a siren being tested every night at 8pm and was used as the signal for our bedtime, or later, our coming indoors for the night time (and once going off for real when an oil tank exploded - I grew up near an oil refinery). It was partly to call in the emergency fire crew (mix of employees and locals trained up) and partly to warn locals of problems and possibly need to stay indoors/close windows.

There is definitely a siren somewhere in our capital as I have heard that being tested a few times when at work - but I couldn't pinpoint when that happens (probably something like 1st Monday of the month...or maybe just once a quarter).

Canadian Prepper is definitely at highest doh, all his emails of sources proclaiming doom....City prepper is similar and they had a link up with 2/3 others recently which was full on "agh, it's already too late to get prepped..." - but there are huge logistical issues still in the US, and the whole rise of certain parts of society normally kept to small isolated bubbles caused by Trump's policies and management before and then during covid, and that rise also shifting across into Canada. So most of the preppers on the other side of the pond are in meltdown and panic.

Have others been following the gas-for-rubles discussions/threats happening over the last 24 hours? Putin threatening (though subsequently back-tracking) to only accept rubles payments for Russian gas.

Rumour has it some European countries are already taking precautionary measures to limit potential risks. Experts say Gazprom are unlikely to violate existing contracts, but over the longer term, Russia may move to a ruble payment contract.

A reminder of how quickly Russia can turn the taps off and on.

www.cnbc.com/amp/2022/03/31/europe-energy-russia-appears-to-soften-its-gas-for-rubles-demand.html

Yes, I’ve read that on BBC website.

Depressing isn't it @RosettaTheGardenFairy?!

I'm just about to record our meter readings before prices go through the roof from tomorrow

Filled the car up earlier, I had just under half a tank left and it still cost me almost £60 to fill 😭 I have a 1.4l diesel car FFS, not some enormous gas guzzler!!

Planning to do a big shop at Aldi/ Lidl soon with more tinned and dried goods than usual - hopefully I'll be able to make enough meals for a good couple of weeks. We have a couple of Easter events to attend but will take picnics rather than buy food there as the cost can often be astronomical! The supermarket shelves were quite bare when I popped into Tesco earlier but that might be just bad timing on my part...

@bellinisurge

Canadian Prepper is in the highest of dohs.

I’m afraid I need a translation on this! Is this someone to follow/a website/email etc? I’m looking for something a bit more detailed/active than MN

High do ((is it "h" or "e" on the end) is a Scottish expression meaning "very agitated
.