|
|
 December through March — the winter season — are the peak months for home fire deaths. Although being able to survive and cope with a disaster is great, avoiding disaster altogether is even better. Like they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
National Fire Prevention Week is a good time to think about keeping your home safe while you keep it warm. Space heaters can be a good way to heat individual rooms or zones within your home, but using them requires a bit of common sense, too.
First of all, when you buy a space heater, be sure to get one that has been evaluated by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or another nationally recognized lab. UL listed appliances undergo a further level of third-party safety testing. You should also buy a space heater that will automatically shut off if it’s tipped over.
When you’re using a space heater, put these safety guidelines in place:
· Place a space heater on level ground well away from flammable materials like blankets, upholstery and curtains; as a rule of thumb, these combustible items should be kept at least three (Read more....) […]
 Superstorm Sandy was a stark reminder of potential climate change and a new normal when it comes to natural disasters. Some people in the Northeast were without power for weeks following the storm, while others had to wait hours in line for a couple gallons of gasoline. Every household should have a survival kit containing the essentials needed to weather the storm until normalcy can be restored. The cost to compile the kit is nothing compared to what life will be like without it in the aftermath of disaster.
Water
Human beings can only survive a maximum of five days without water, and that is under ideal conditions. Floods, hurricanes and earthquakes can knock out municipal water sources for weeks at a time. Whether in the basement, attic or spare room, a few gallons of water should be stored in every home, especially when there are children. Some water may still flow through the pipes when the faucet is turned on, but it could be contaminated with bacteria. Purification tablets can be (Read more....) […]
 Recently, large parts of the North East were without power for a long period of time due to storm damage. In my life, I have experienced a couple of weeks with no electricity after a storm and I know what it is like to suffer through that. However, you can make it livable and even enjoyable if you just change your mindset. Here are some things you need to remember:
People lived before electricity. I know it seems like a foreign concept to you, but people did actually survive before electricity was invented. In fact, they probably lived in your town before electricity was installed. That means that you can survive and even thrive without electricity. All you have to do is use a little common sense.
(Picture Credit, The Energy Collective)
Cook with fire. You should have propane or charcoal or some other form of fire cooking ready to go in case of emergency. I know that some of you have a gas stove… but even that could go out during a disaster. If you are cooking, make the most of your heat (Read more....) […]
 Having lived in Houston, Texas off and on for many years, I was used to much-hyped hurricanes heading our way from the Gulf that, when they finally arrived, did little but dump a bunch of rain on the city and make everyone panic. This was usually a humorous and benign phenomenon that led to nothing more than long lines at the grocery stores. But after 2005, when Hurricane Rita hit and there were actually fatalities caused NOT by the actual storm but the panicked evacuation (this was right after Katrina, remember), I resolved to stay calm and stay in town next time.
Photo Credit Hurricane Ike sweeps ashore in Galveston
“Next time” turned out to be 2008 and Hurricane Ike. We took the day off from work as the mayor ordered, boarded up the windows, “battened down the hatches” and waited. Arriving late in the night, the storm was a sight to see. Flashes of green light appeared on the horizon as the transformers blew.
When we woke (Read more....) […]
 Is global warming a serious threat to humanity or is it just a massive hoax? Should we be seriously concerned about climate change, or is climate change something that has always happened throughout history? Is mankind causing changes to the climate, or has the climate data been falsified to promote certain agendas? These are vitally important questions. Politicians all over the globe are making fundamental decisions regarding the future of humanity based on their beliefs about global warming and climate change. A number of our readers have expressed very strong opinions about global warming and climate change recently, and we wanted to share their comments with you. Some of them are very much in favor of the theory that humanity is causing catastrophic global warming, and others are very much against this theory. We thought that we would post comments from our readers on both sides of the debate. The truth is out there, and hopefully if we are all willing to learn from each other we can find it.
Here are the comments from our readers…..
***From Those Backing The Theory Of Man-Made Global Warming***
EatMe:
Global Warming does not mean just hot hot hot everywhere. It is not a zero sum game. When something heats up somewhere, it is bound to have an effect someplace else. For example, if the Jet Stream goes out of whack because of (Read more....) […]
 What a winter it has been for the east coast already – and yet it is not over. In fact, some computer models are calling for up to 2 feet of snow to hit the mid-Atlantic region this upcoming weekend. Yes, you read that right. 2 feet of snow. At least that is what the sophisticated computer models that Foot’s Forecast relies upon are calling for. So far, the NBC affiliate in Washington D.C. is being far more conservative and is only projecting 6 to 12 inches of snow at this point. But the truth is that they are always very conservative with their estimates 48 hours before a storm hits because they do not want to alarm anyone. In fact, prior to the massive winter storm that hit the east coast in December, local news affiliates in the Washington/Baltimore area were only calling for a moderate amount of snow at first. This is how the local weather business works – they stay very conservative until they are absolutely certain that a monster storm is a sure thing.
But the reality is that this is a monster storm that is going to dump a massive amount of precipitation somewhere. The team over at Foot’s Forecast believes that the Washington/Baltimore region is going to get (Read more....) […]
 The massive winter snow storm that has hit the Washington D.C. area is truly historic in nature. Some areas have received over 2 feet of snow. The entire Washington D.C. area has been paralyzed as the snow continues to accumulate. Without a doubt this is the biggest snow storm of the decade for the mid-Atlantic region. While other areas of the U.S. are accustomed to getting large amounts of snow, the truth is that a blizzard of this magnitude is completely crippling for those who live around Washington D.C. There have been over 4000 traffic accidents in Virginia alone due to this massive snow storm. Hundreds of cars are totally stuck or abandoned. It is hard to describe just how much this storm has affected the entire area. Posted below are some stunning photos from the heart of the Washington D.C. snow storm….
Dude – where’s my car?….
![]( "Washington D.C. Snow Storm") (Read more....)
[…]
|
|
