New coronavirus in/from China

Vortex2 · Post by **Vortex2** » 18 Mar 2020, 19:40

clv101 wrote:The overwhelming narrative is not to worry about food, plenty to go round, just don't panic buy and overload the supply chain.

But what if this isn't true? That supply chain relies on lots of trucks coming on ferries and Eurostar from the continent. Also air freight for some. ~Zero salad grown in UK in March for example. How significant an impact will all the national lock downs and closed borders have on national and global food supply chains? How much of the ingredients of UK processed food is imported?

Situation in China, Whuan was very different, rest of China (& the world) remained open. Not the case now.

Whatever happens, there will be enough food for all .. even if its imported corned beef etc and very limited in choice.

boisdevie · Post by **boisdevie** » 18 Mar 2020, 19:40

Mean Mr Mustard II wrote:
Bedrock Barney wrote: Anyone else feeling discombobulated?
Before all this broke, mild depression. Dysthymia / anhedonia - everything seemed Meh.

Now, disturbed sleep pattern and occasional stomach cramp, an indicator of low-level stress. But feeling more alert and engaged, the many preps needed to be ramped up, worked solo, but steadily and unhindered. But that full undivided attention is what should happen when every diced carrot warning light is flashing.

And every important seemingly trivial detail covered, and above all - unfounded optimism countered by properly assessing risk in good time.

I'm feeling a bit poleaxed at the moment - today is my first day of a 12 week (and possibly longer) self isolation due to health reasons. It's all getting a bit weird but it could be worse - I'm pretty well sorted out on a practical and emotional level - my biggest concern is the food chain going tits up.
As a way of coping and also as a contribution to the debate I've started a vlog on TubeFace which is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fTsuCS-D-w

fuzzy · Post by **fuzzy** » 18 Mar 2020, 19:42

Bedrock Barney wrote:
fuzzy wrote:Shame carpenters bricklayers or plumbers didn't save their considerable wages.
There are a lot of relatively unskilled workers on building sites as well. They work hard but are not paid particularly well and their bodies take a major pounding.

I have respect for the stamina of builders of all types.

I work on the idea that I can do anything a builder can - 80% as well, about 25% of the speed, + about 4 x as many breaks. Of course I am not allowed to since that prick Prescott decided XYZ - whatever...hopefully building control will go the way of Albert Dryden [who did what the sanctimonious twat from the council asked him to do] in County Durham.

Vortex2 · Post by **Vortex2** » 18 Mar 2020, 19:52

When the young realise that they are safe we should expect problems ...

How can we make younger people stay at home?

I doubt that we will be able to keep them indoors more than for the first few weeks.

So what happens then?

Longer term I suspect that 40+ year old staff will be less sought after by firms.

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 18 Mar 2020, 19:52

fuzzy wrote:
Bedrock Barney wrote:
fuzzy wrote:Shame carpenters bricklayers or plumbers didn't save their considerable wages.
There are a lot of relatively unskilled workers on building sites as well. They work hard but are not paid particularly well and their bodies take a major pounding.
I have respect for the stamina of builders of all types.

I work on the idea that I can do anything a builder can - 80% as well, about 25% of the speed, + about 4 x as many breaks. Of course I am not allowed to since that prick Prescott decided XYZ - whatever...hopefully building control will go the way of Albert Dryden [who did what the sanctimonious twat from the council asked him to do] in County Durham.

Other than stuff that is visible to the outside world, I ignore building controls. I know what works and I know what is safe. That does not mean I build stuff that lies outside what those controls would have recommended anyway. I'm just not prepared to pay someone with a piece of paper proving he can do XYZ to do something I could do myself. And I can do 90% of things myself.

fuzzy · Post by **fuzzy** » 18 Mar 2020, 20:11

Agreed. Scary to think that the enforcable wiring regs date back only to 83. Somehow we [more or less] all survived.

Vortex2 · Post by **Vortex2** » 18 Mar 2020, 20:19

fuzzy wrote:Agreed. Scary to think that the enforcable wiring regs date back only to 83. Somehow we [more or less] all survived.

The truly evil one is the Town & Country Planning Act 1947 ...

UndercoverElephant · Post by **UndercoverElephant** » 18 Mar 2020, 20:30

clv101 wrote:The overwhelming narrative is not to worry about food, plenty to go round, just don't panic buy and overload the supply chain.

But what if this isn't true? That supply chain relies on lots of trucks coming on ferries and Eurostar from the continent. Also air freight for some. ~Zero salad grown in UK in March for example. How significant an impact will all the national lock downs and closed borders have on national and global food supply chains? How much of the ingredients of UK processed food is imported?

My thoughts precisely, and we are acting accordingly.

It is a bizarre situation for me. I'm writing a 500 page book about foraging for wild plants and seaweeds, including a lot of information about foods people once relied on in times of famine. This spring I was expecting to be busy running courses, and experimenting with recipes and especially with famine foods and the preservation of wild food, as research for the book. Now it isn't just research, and quite a lot of the book content will change to reflect what is happening now.

Vortex2 · Post by **Vortex2** » 18 Mar 2020, 20:46

The icing on the cake ...

My wife follows a different set of blogs etc.

She is beginning to feel that war might be on its way.

Great.

Post by **clv101** » 18 Mar 2020, 20:54

Vortex2 wrote:Whatever happens, there will be enough food for all .. even if its imported corned beef etc and very limited in choice.

Maybe - but that assumes (a) that there will be somewhere else in far better shape than us willing and able (global logistics?) to export and (b) we won't be outbid, out manoeuvred or out gunned by someone else (the US?) for what imports are still moving on the global market.

Vortex2 · Post by **Vortex2** » 18 Mar 2020, 20:58

clv101 wrote:
Vortex2 wrote:Whatever happens, there will be enough food for all .. even if its imported corned beef etc and very limited in choice.
Maybe - but that assumes (a) that there will be somewhere else in far better shape than us willing and able (global logistics?) to export and (b) we won't be outbid, out manoeuvred or out gunned by someone else (the US?) for what imports are still moving on the global market.

Oh poo ... virus, famine, war.

This is going to be a fun year.

ReserveGrowthRulz · Post by **ReserveGrowthRulz** » 18 Mar 2020, 21:13

Vortex2 wrote:The icing on the cake ...

My wife follows a different set of blogs etc.

She is beginning to feel that war might be on its way.

Great.

If you can't get the peak oil doom, or the climate doom, or even a decent pandemic doom going, war is always a safe backup.

Vortex2 · Post by **Vortex2** » 18 Mar 2020, 21:13

Local care home now off limits.

Vortex2 · Post by **Vortex2** » 18 Mar 2020, 21:18

ReserveGrowthRulz wrote:
Vortex2 wrote:The icing on the cake ...

My wife follows a different set of blogs etc.

She is beginning to feel that war might be on its way.

Great.
If you can't get the peak oil doom, or the climate doom, or even a decent pandemic doom going, war is always a safe backup.

How about locusts? I can do locusts.

Post by **clv101** » 18 Mar 2020, 21:19

Lots of posh online food places now not accepting new orders, places like:
https://www.dovesfarm.co.uk/
https://www.shipton-mill.com/
https://www.essential-trading.co.uk/

etc.