SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR [1]. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, .
Processed Meats Study: Not Healthy
Reader D.S.V. sent this warning on processed meats: Just one hotdog per day could harm your health, study finds [2].
Trump Threatens Russia with Tariffs and Re-Arms Ukraine
From the Associated Press: Trump threatens Russia with tariffs and boosts US weapons for Ukraine [3].
In Canada: Traditional Values = Possible Extremism
SurvivalBlog reader C.B. forwarded the link to this report from the far-left/statist MSN: People with traditional values could be extremists, Canadian police warn [4].
Quizzing Grok on the Risk of Societal Collapse
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) will soon be transitioning to Embodied Intelligence (E.I.) devices and robots. It was recently announced that Grok 4 will have Ph.D.-level expertise in all subjects. As a gendankenexperiment, I asked Grok 3: “Given current societal, geopolitical, and economic trends, in what year will society collapse?” It responded:
“Predicting a specific year for societal collapse is impossible due to the complexity and unpredictability of global systems. However, based on current trends, several factors could contribute to significant societal disruption or partial collapse if unaddressed. Studies like the 1972 Limits to Growth report and its 2020 reassessment by Gaya Herrington suggest that continuing “business-as-usual” scenarios—marked by unchecked resource depletion, population growth, and environmental degradation—could lead to a decline in economic growth and societal stability around the 2040s.
Key trends driving this risk include:
Climate Change: Accelerating extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and crop failures due to warming (projected to exceed 2°C by 2050 without drastic action) could trigger food insecurity, mass migration, and conflict.
Geopolitical Fragmentation: Rising tensions, trade wars, and state-based conflicts (e.g., Ukraine, Middle East) strain global cooperation, with the World Economic Forum noting increased risks of “geoeconomic confrontation” and “state-based armed conflict” by 2027.Economic Inequality: Growing wealth disparities and political polarization undermine social cohesion, potentially leading to unrest or revolutions, as seen in historical collapses.Resource Scarcity: Depletion of natural resources, exacerbated by climate change, could halt industrial growth, with some models pointing to a tipping point in the 2030s or 2040s.That said, collapse isn’t inevitable. The Limits to Growth stabilized world scenario shows that deliberate shifts toward sustainability, equitable resource use, and technological innovation could avert catastrophe. Historical examples suggest resilient societies with strong cohesion can withstand shocks, while fragile ones falter. Some X posts claim collapse could occur as early as 2029-2045 due to climate impacts, but these are speculative and lack consensus. Most researchers, including those from the IPCC, emphasize that while risks are high, proactive measures like rapid decarbonization and global cooperation could mitigate them. Rather than a single year, the 2030s to 2050s appear as a critical window where pressures could peak, depending on humanity’s response. No precise date can be pinned down, as it hinges on unpredictable human decisions and systemic interactions.”
Texas Flood Debacle a Result of Flood “Control”
Reader D.S.V. mentioned this piece, over at Mises Wire: Texas Flood Debacle a Predictable Result of 98 Years of Government Flood “Control” [5].
Air India Pilots Made Fatal Error
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