Archive: https://archive.is/2025.03.26-113538/https://www.ft.com/content/eeb1ee80-00b8-4f9f-b560-a6717a80d58d

EU households should stockpile essential supplies to survive at least 72 hours of crisis, Brussels has proposed, as Russia’s war in Ukraine and a darkening geopolitical landscape prompt the bloc to take new steps to increase its security.

The continuing conflict in Ukraine, the Covid-19 pandemic that brutally exposed a lack of crisis response capabilities and the Trump administration’s adversarial stance towards Europe have forced the continent to rethink its vulnerabilities and increase spending on defence and security.

The new initiative comes as European intelligence agencies warn that Russia could attack an EU member state within three to five years, adding to natural threats including floods and wildfires worsened by climate change and societal risks such as financial crises.

Europe faced increased threats “including the possibility of armed aggression against member states”, the European Commission warned on Wednesday as it published a 30-step plan for its 27 capitals to increase their preparedness for crisis and mitigation measures.

  • Perhapsjustsniffit@lemmy.ca
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    5 days ago

    Canada here. Same for us in the food department. though I am less enthused about what may happen to us with yam tits raging downstairs.

    • ObtuseDoorFrame@lemm.ee
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      5 days ago

      Yam tits! That is genuinely a new one for me. Excellent.

      I’ll never, as long as I may live, get over the utter embarrassment of being born and raised in a country who could support that maniac. I suppose the worst thing I could do is leave. The only way to alleviate my shame is to stay and keep voting for the least insane option.

      • Perhapsjustsniffit@lemmy.ca
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        5 days ago

        I freely admit I stole Yam TIts from another Lemmy user and I can’t remember who or I would certainly give them credit. I feel it gets right to the point one is trying to convey.

    • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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      5 days ago

      I’ve almost fully figured out how to live off just cans at this point. I also have a basement greenhouse in the works, although I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the local commercial options.

      • Perhapsjustsniffit@lemmy.ca
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        5 days ago

        We live rurally and don’t have much money as I have been disabled for almost a decade now. What we do have is seeds and gardens. Loads of them. A large greenhouse as well. We started a small farm before I got sick with the idea that if it didn’t make money at least we would be able to eat. Then I got sick and we just continued to plant. We are fortunate to have planned early to have space to do so. At first we helped others set up homesteads and growing in our area as well and still do to some extent but guess what…we do eat and are not so beholden to the grocery oligarchs and economic system. Any little bit you can do helps.

        • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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          5 days ago

          Yeah, not too far off from my situation. A full-blown greenhouse sounds awesome, I can only dream of that. How much time do you spend tending it?

          Mine is basically just to grow enough leafy greens to prevent scurvy and supply enough to go in sandwiches and maybe salads. Interestingly, parsley has the most vitamin C of non-tropical crops.

          • Perhapsjustsniffit@lemmy.ca
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            5 days ago

            We start planting stuff inside and in the greenhouse in Feb/March and go through to November usually. I spend a few hours every day and my wife does as well mid season. She works a real job as well in summer so I’m on my own then. The growing is the easy part really. It’s all the storage and preservation that takes a while.

            • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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              4 days ago

              Hmm. Is there not enough sunlight Dec/Jan? If you could keep some things ready to harvest all year you wouldn’t have to worry so much about that.

              • Perhapsjustsniffit@lemmy.ca
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                4 days ago

                We do keep greens and such here. We have about mid November to end of February where we don’t have enough light. If we have cold weather crops already grown they will almost always hold. We usually keep greens, hearty herbs and such all year round. If we get carrots and beets and stuff under planted they will also hold in the ground. It becomes a humidity and temperature fluctuation problem with them in the hightunnel. Not to mention bugs and rodents. It’s 20’x50’ and unheated so it gets quite cold at night in the winter.

                We even grow figs now. Shouldn’t be able to do that here but climate change is real.

        • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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          5 days ago

          It’s not very good in my experience, though. Super watery. On the other hand, the canned custard is great.

            • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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              5 days ago

              Hmm, maybe I just got a bad can or something. The custard is definitely Ambrosia. Maybe I bought a cheap generic…

              I’m not sure, it was a long time ago, and I only did it once. Maybe I’ll try again.

    • Mubelotix
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      5 days ago

      Canada being highly dependant on imports, some items could completely disappear from stores in the even of a global conflict

      • Perhapsjustsniffit@lemmy.ca
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        5 days ago

        Absolutely. Our family can grow enough for ourselves and a couple of other families. We have friends we basically coop with. We grow some things. They grow some things. We share. We also hunt fish and trap which helps and raise meat chickens and laying hens.