National Geographic Channel is running a series on Doomsday Preppers.

[Ilsa]

They interview Preppers of all kinds of armageddon scenarios, including polar shift, flooding, economic collapse, pandemic crisis, volcanos, EMP, etc.

Do we see the power brokers being ready for any of this? The super rich?

Don't get me wrong, I believe in being prepared for typical events for one's location. I keep extra food, water, batteries, and candles available.

But the polar shift thing seems nuts. NGC even said that the last one was 800 million years ago.

I'd be more concerned about our electrical grid going down, or an EMP, than most of the other stuff.

[Liberal_in_LA]

1. I watched all 6 or 7 eps. you can find them on youtube.

I think most of the people are preparing for any kind of disaster. national geo just tied each one to a crazy scenario for ratings.

[provis99]

2. yes, the very rich are indeed preparing for doomsday:

http://news.discovery.com/human/floating-city-states-move-closer-to-reality.html

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. by the way, some of the preppers seemed to be rich or near rich

that other show, doomsday bunkers, show people buying 150K and up underground bunkers. that's not for the poor.

[Johnny Rico]

12. The relatively rich preppers are more interesting for reality tv, given the kind of setups they can

afford. It's certainly possible to substantially "prep" on a limited income.

[PoliticAverse]

4. Much more likely than polar shifting is polar flipping....

That occurs about every 200,000 to 300,000 years (and the next one seems to be long overdue)...

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012-poleReversal.html

[Richard D]

7. And . . .

. . . takes hundreds if not thousands of years start to finish. Most of the doomers are actually thinking the poles will shift, e.g. the earth will flip over in space. North will become south, south north. An absurd lack of scientific understanding or the simple law of inertia.

[airplaneman]

5. Actually I am getting into preparing for a grid down possibility.

I am an average Joe at an age of 58. I think it is very likely the grid will go down for weeks and possibly longer and or I might loose my job or food will get considerably more expensive. I have 6 months of food and supplies. Of course I would be charitable with my neighbors and friends if it really happens. I don't own a gun and would not shoot anybody. I think it is foolish not to get out of debt, save for rainy days if you can, and prepare to be on your own for a number of possibilities. We live in a tenuous world. Something as simple as a strike can empty supermarket shelves in days. Being prepared I could stay out of the way and help others not so fortunate.
-Airplane

[Ilsa]

9. This is where I am.

I have dried food supplies, cans, water, medicines, first aid, etc. To last for 3-4 months right now, but I wish my supply was for longer. I just don't have the money and space right now, but that'll change later as we are getting a bigger place.

[rustydog]

6. Goober TV has a series on these defectives

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Well a polar shift shoud be gradual

An EMP, you having other (nuclear) issues, or a real bad solar storm. Again other issues. This usually leads to power outages in northern latitudes. I hardly think that's Armagedon.

[GliderGuider]

10. The most realistic doomsday scenario is a global economic crash...

...coupled with soaring food and energy prices due to Peak Oil and climate change hitting us at the same time as the world's debt mountain finally slides.

Unfortunately, it's already under way. It will probably pick up steam over the next 5 years, and there's diddly anybody can do about it.

The best preps anyone can make are to plant a serious garden and get to know the neighbors.

I'm as serious as a heart attack about this. It's time to plant a garden - in two years, you may really need it. And besides - the food will taste better than anything you'll get in a store.

[izquierdista]

15. Already doing it

As well as figuring out how to provide for my own utilities when the reliability falls to North Korean levels.

[GliderGuider]

16. +1

People get distracted by the flashier doomsday scenarios, and miss the gritty tide of reality that's already washing over our feet.

[Selatius]

21. The real doomsday scenario is a war with Iran. That'll drive the US into the Second Depression.

The oil price shock alone would hurt people at the pump. Since it takes fuel to move food from the farm to the store and then your home, you'll see skyrocketing food costs as well. In such a scenario, unemployment will likely spike upward as well, as producers curb production once they realize consumers are diverting their money away from products and services to fuel and bare necessities. The thing of the matter is that high energy prices act like a very regressive sales tax on consumer spending.

[Johnny Rico]

11. I have enough supplies to be self-sufficient for a couple of months.

If the hypothetical disaster lasts long than that, it's Mad Max time.

[malaise]

13. Rest assured someone will be getting filthy rich off this madness

We prepare for hurricanes but I'm not into this doomsday crap. I won't be spending a penny.

[GliderGuider]

14. Planting a garden and making friends with the neighbors isn't all that expensive...

Those are the only preparations worth making for any kind of hard times, IMO. And they're great in the good times, too.

[malaise]

19. We have always had a garden

for a healthy life and not for some doomsday reasons.

[RebelOne]

17. A lot of people got rich from the 2000 scare.

I sort of got sucked into it, but all I did was stock up on canned foods, including lots of tuna fish.

[malaise]

20. As long as there are suckers

people will get rich

[1620rock]

18. Sometimes I'm glad that Ms. and I are past middle age and child-free.