When I first came across the ancient Mayan calendar many years ago, it did not strike me that the world as we know it will cease in a global cataclysm on December 21, 2012. In fact, I was rather excited at the possibility of a renewal, a rebirth, a re-awaking of the earth and the human race.
I quickly forgot about it until Yahoo directed me to a trailer for the movie 2012. The movie implores you to search for 2012 and thus began my research. What caught my eye were the number of web sites on how to survive 2012, notably howtosurvive2012 and December212012 . Not to be outdone are video documentaries on History and Discovery channels exploring the possibility of the end of the world on December 21, 2012.
Then there are also the web sites that debunk the 2012 doomsday predictions. Many of them are not well put together suggesting that debunkers have little to say or as one of the few best sites put it, "It is safe to say that the 2012 debunking and bunking parties are again more preoccupied with fighting each other than seeking the facts."
My interest is solely about Africa and 2012.
I don't singularly believe that the world will end on December 21, 2012. Some cataclysm event might well happen but to end the world as we know it is beyond belief. Some life, including human life, will survive any cataclysm that may befall earth in 2012, just as has happened in the past. As my brother poignantly puts it, the end of the world happens individually to each one of us when we die. So here is to hoping you and I don't die before, during and well after 2012.
Sunday, December 31
Saturday, December 30
Why Africa is the best place to survive 2012 - Part 1
Nearly all 2012 survivalists on the web, without exception, [possibly because their source of information is the same], point to the fact that Africa is the best place to survive 2012 because of its stable continental shelf.
I found the best summary here but the piece does its bit to perpetuate a negative imagine of Africa that this blog site is attempting to erase. If Africa is filled with plagues and civil wars and whatnot, all of which may intensify in the aftermath of 2012, why make Africa your future home?
The same article gave me enough reason to start my own survival blog site focused on Africa. Take this gem for example: "In some countries additional political instability or even civil wars can make it impossible to even acquire or develop land to be suitable for survival". That is exactly why it needs someone who knows, understands and, dare I say, loves, Africa and can speak its language to assist in acquiring a suitable survival place. I will expound on how later but allow me to state this upfront: that first of all it is relatively easy to acquire land in Africa without triggering yet another civil war and, secondly, you have to work with the local, indigenous people because, short of that, you would be setting yourself up for a Zimbabwe-type land grab and a possible civil war over resources in what is supposed to be a new age of enlightenment.
Or maybe you are betting on the entire local, "primitive", indigenous African population not to survive? You better think again. And what has poor roads got to do with survival? The lack of good roads prior to 2012 will possibly give any survivors an inkling of what to expect after the upheavals of massive continental shifts, should they occur. So citing “poor roads” as a reason why Africa may NOT be suitable really puts into question the survivalist's credentials.
In this posting the author states that "due to the physical laws of inertia and friction, it is a fairly safe bet that the continents with the least amount of mass will be propelled the farthest when the force of the polar shift is upon them". And so, the author concludes, because the continental shelves of "Europe, Asia and Africa are locked together" they would shift the least. But why is Africa the best of the lot to survive 2012? Europe scores fewer points because of a potential nuclear meltdown. Asia hardly receives a mention but presumably because, like the Americas, it is prone to earthquakes and is littered with potentially deadly volcanoes.
Probably the biggest 2012 survivalist proponent is Patrick Geryl. Besides his web site, howtosurvive2012, he has written a book, "How to survive 2012". I have great respect for the time, effort, enthusiasm and whatever else that Patrick Geryl has put into his works and deserves to cover his costs, whether it involves inviting people to "invest" into his 2012-themed eco-tourist timeshare or not. I must also admit that I have not read any of his books. [I have promised myself that I will].
Nonetheless, the snippets that I have gleaned, attributed to him, on how to survive 2012, solicit more questions than answers. For example, he advises that the best places to survive are in mountains that are at least 3km metres above sea level. Fair enough. Then he goes on to mention, in Africa, the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, the highlands of Ethiopia and Madagascar. Madagascar? The last time I checked, Madagascar was an island with its highest peak at less than 3000 metres above sea level and too close to the shoreline for my liking. In addition, this article rises the possibility of the mountain rising or sinking - with you stuck in a bunker. It appears that Patrick Geryl’s attempt to adress that possibility was not satisfactory – because, if truth be told, no one really knows what will happen.
Patrick also mentions investing in unsinkable boats. This article identifies several disadvantages not least the fact that due to their innately small size, should you survive, it will only be you and your immediate family (or friends). Not a great way to re-start a civilisation unless you wish to go against everything that we have learnt in the past 6000 years about procreation and in-breeding.
I have a better idea. But it will have to wait for a later posting.
In order to conclude and better understand why Africa is the best place to survive 2012, we need to look at the possible cataclysms that are likely to occur prior to, during and immediately after December 21, 2012.
I found the best summary here but the piece does its bit to perpetuate a negative imagine of Africa that this blog site is attempting to erase. If Africa is filled with plagues and civil wars and whatnot, all of which may intensify in the aftermath of 2012, why make Africa your future home?
The same article gave me enough reason to start my own survival blog site focused on Africa. Take this gem for example: "In some countries additional political instability or even civil wars can make it impossible to even acquire or develop land to be suitable for survival". That is exactly why it needs someone who knows, understands and, dare I say, loves, Africa and can speak its language to assist in acquiring a suitable survival place. I will expound on how later but allow me to state this upfront: that first of all it is relatively easy to acquire land in Africa without triggering yet another civil war and, secondly, you have to work with the local, indigenous people because, short of that, you would be setting yourself up for a Zimbabwe-type land grab and a possible civil war over resources in what is supposed to be a new age of enlightenment.
Or maybe you are betting on the entire local, "primitive", indigenous African population not to survive? You better think again. And what has poor roads got to do with survival? The lack of good roads prior to 2012 will possibly give any survivors an inkling of what to expect after the upheavals of massive continental shifts, should they occur. So citing “poor roads” as a reason why Africa may NOT be suitable really puts into question the survivalist's credentials.
In this posting the author states that "due to the physical laws of inertia and friction, it is a fairly safe bet that the continents with the least amount of mass will be propelled the farthest when the force of the polar shift is upon them". And so, the author concludes, because the continental shelves of "Europe, Asia and Africa are locked together" they would shift the least. But why is Africa the best of the lot to survive 2012? Europe scores fewer points because of a potential nuclear meltdown. Asia hardly receives a mention but presumably because, like the Americas, it is prone to earthquakes and is littered with potentially deadly volcanoes.
Probably the biggest 2012 survivalist proponent is Patrick Geryl. Besides his web site, howtosurvive2012, he has written a book, "How to survive 2012". I have great respect for the time, effort, enthusiasm and whatever else that Patrick Geryl has put into his works and deserves to cover his costs, whether it involves inviting people to "invest" into his 2012-themed eco-tourist timeshare or not. I must also admit that I have not read any of his books. [I have promised myself that I will].
Nonetheless, the snippets that I have gleaned, attributed to him, on how to survive 2012, solicit more questions than answers. For example, he advises that the best places to survive are in mountains that are at least 3km metres above sea level. Fair enough. Then he goes on to mention, in Africa, the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, the highlands of Ethiopia and Madagascar. Madagascar? The last time I checked, Madagascar was an island with its highest peak at less than 3000 metres above sea level and too close to the shoreline for my liking. In addition, this article rises the possibility of the mountain rising or sinking - with you stuck in a bunker. It appears that Patrick Geryl’s attempt to adress that possibility was not satisfactory – because, if truth be told, no one really knows what will happen.
Patrick also mentions investing in unsinkable boats. This article identifies several disadvantages not least the fact that due to their innately small size, should you survive, it will only be you and your immediate family (or friends). Not a great way to re-start a civilisation unless you wish to go against everything that we have learnt in the past 6000 years about procreation and in-breeding.
I have a better idea. But it will have to wait for a later posting.
In order to conclude and better understand why Africa is the best place to survive 2012, we need to look at the possible cataclysms that are likely to occur prior to, during and immediately after December 21, 2012.
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