March 28, 2024 1:17 AM
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Prepare Yourself for the Impacts of Climate Change

As the frequency and intensity of natural disasters increase, the need to be prepared for the potential effects is clear. Every corner of the planet has been impacted, from scorching heat waves to monsoon downpours, with millions of people being displaced. Although much is out of our control when it comes to the impact of climate change, there are, however, some simple things we can do to prepare for potential extreme weather conditions.

Prepare a Go Bag

Not long ago, preparing a go bag or bug-out bag was considered a little extreme. But the weather events of the last few years have highlighted the importance of being prepared for an emergency. The idea of a go bag is to have the essential supplies for your family to survive for around 48-72 hours in the event that you need to evacuate your home in a rush. Thankfully there are now many survival kits and go bags pre-prepared with everything you need that you can now purchase online, or if you prefer, it is not that difficult to prepare your own. Essential items for a go bag include:

  • Food and water
  • Warm clothes and shoes
  • A sleeping bag
  • First aid supplies
  • Face masks
  • A flashlight
  • Copies of essential documentation

A critical part of your go bag that you may need to prepare yourself is having all the tech tools and devices you will need to hand in various scenarios. Your tech pouch should include physical devices, but downloading files and virtual tools are also vital to a good survival kit. Check out these tips and tricks from ExpressVPN’s Stay Prepared with A Tech Survival Kit. Some essentials for your tech kit include portable power banks, adaptors, extra cables, a burner or cheap second phone, batteries, etc. Remember that whatever devices you decide to pack, you will need to store them in a waterproof bag and keep them charged at all times.

Prepare a Backup Power Supply

As news of hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires across America become more frequent, so do blackouts. Often the immediate impact of extreme weather conditions is a loss of power. Thankfully there are now accessible and inexpensive power solutions, including solar panels and generators. One simple and cheap solution is portable solar-powered devices. For example, you can purchase a Foldable Solar Panel Kit on Amazon for under $200.

Alternatively, a longer-term solution that will also help cut your household bills is installing rooftop solar panels that connect with a battery storage solution. CBS compared the costs and savings involved in home solar energy, highlighting the pros and cons of this type of system. In the case of an emergency, having a solar system that connects with a battery storage system to keep your power going, even when the sun is not shining, is a vital element. Now that many of us work remotely having access to backup power is critical. And that’s before mentioning that installing the panels can come with tax benefits that offset some of the costs.

When preparing for potential emergency scenarios, you need to first do some research as to what impacts of climate change you are most likely to be impacted by, whether fire, earthquake, flood, or tornado, and prepare with that particular event in mind.

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