Obstacles

At first blush it would seem that a large number of survivors could be expected, but I think after the initial pole shift death rate, that other things will set in, as follows:

• Heart attack, shock from injury, dropped immune systems from depression, lack of medication like insulin, sewage and ash mixed in with the drinking water, violence from madness or frustration, and starvation. Any group of 30,000 folks, for instance, surviving earthquakes and high winds, will be eroded rapidly by these other problems.

• Lack of resources. We're heading into a period of crop shortages which will drastically reduce food stores. Even today, we don't take care of the homeless or poor. Thus, the 30,000 survivors will find they have no food stores, and hunger in this number, will cause dissension that will blow any hope of survival apart. They will eat the seed, not plant it.

• Lack of planning and honesty on the part of the government. Today, they are doing only one thing. Denial and cover-up and trying to get a handful of elite to Mars. Thus, since the majority of folks will deny and party, not plan, only a small percentage of the 30,000, not the government or powers that be, will plan. These individuals will be taken advantage of, and ultimately fail, I believe.

• Gangs, which will migrate to where they can savage and consume the greatest numbers. Any group of 30,000 that is by some miracle succeeding will find itself a juicy target. Can they hide? They will find their stores broken into, their children taken hostage, their drinking water poisoned - so that a gang can plunder.

Offered by Nancy.