The Touchwood Project

In this world of ours, times they are a-changing, so we need to be adaptable to make the most of our future, if not just survive.

If the power went off wouldn’t it be nice to know you could not only cope, but even have a great time?

Imagine, instead of panic in the dark and cold, you just smile and get on.

In fact you are so prepared, you don’t even miss the electricity because you are too busy talking to your family, visiting your neighbours, and enjoying life without the distractions of the internet, television and telephones.

Or maybe you would completely panic.

What would you do?

Do you know how you would cope if the power went off for longer than a few hours?

Well, I invite you to try this little experiment – a weekend without electricity: Power Off ! December 11 – 13, 2009.

Join others in this adventure, get support from us, have fun, come up with alternative ways to do things and afterwards know you are more in control of your life!

“But right now isn’t convenient”

If you think this inconvenient then ask yourself, if there are power cuts again, will it ever be convenient, will you get advance notice? No.

Better to try it out when you can be in control.

Join us December 11 – 13, 2009

The Poweroff Weekend starts 11pm, Friday night on the 11th.

Come and join us now – sign up to this private Facebook event so we can send you information about what to do to prepare and suggest tips for the weekend. See below for details and FAQs.

If you’d rather not use Facebook you can also email us directly to sign up: malcolm@touchwoodproject.com

There will be a lot of information and advice sent out to all who sign up for this adventure, so what are you waiting for? Join the Power Off tribe! And why not invite your neighbours and friends to join too, and share in the experience?

P.S. If you want to know what it is like to try these adventures, read about the harder version Malcolm and Rachel did a couple of years back: “this is not a good time”

FAQs

What do I have to do?

Prepare for the weekend (see below). Fill out the pre-weekend questionnaire. Then turn off your power supply at the mains where it comes into the house. Keep a written diary of your experience in the two days and photographs and complete the daily questionnaire.

What if I have a deep freeze or a lot of food in my fridge/freezer? What should I do?

Either cook it all, eat it and cook it and put it in the fridge which will keep some residual coolness. Some people are able to keep the freezer closed and try to insulate it to keep the coldness in there. Or you could find neighbours or friends that you could store the food with. Have a communal feast.

The point here is to be aware of how much you’ve invested in your fridge/freezer that’s vulnerable to a power cut. So if you have a lot of meat for example, you might want to consider an alternative power source.

What if all my heating is powered by electricity?

Close all rooms you’re not using. Put on more clothing to keep you warm. Get more physically active to generate heat. Consider alternative sources of heat like a camping stove, fireplace.

Consider visiting your neighbours. In this experiment, you are allowed (even encouraged) to rely on your neighbours, so use them as a resource. The human body generates a lot of heat — so invite friends round or your family into one room and keep warm. Put up cardboard on your windows to reduce loss of heat in your main room. Put blankets and newspaper on the bottom of doors and gaps to keep heat in.

Camp out in your own house — Consider sleeping in a different room. If your bedroom is really cold, move your bed into the warm room. Drape a sheet over to create a tent. Have the family sleep in one room together.

What if my partner/children/housemates don’t want to participate?

Talk to them and explain why this is important and only do it if you get them to agree. They must at least agree to do it for your benefit, but they really need to see the benefits of the challenge because otherwise you most likely won’t complete it. It might also cause too much upset between people — you need to be a team.

Why should I do this anyway?

To know how to deal with the situation if does actually happen. To experience something different. To face a challenge and succeed at it. To become aware of how much we rely upon electricity and take it for granted. To spend more time with people in our lives rather than watch television or sit at a computer. It forces us to be more involved with people. To be aware of addictive tendencies. To know how you would react in a crisis, to know yourself better.

Can I only do this for part of the time or only turn off electricity for some things?

When things are beyond our control, were not able to set the rules. So part of the experiment is to experience discomfort, to not be in control. So if you set your own rules in this experiment, you’re missing out on that lesson. Also the most realistic scenario is a total loss of energy in the event of a powercut.

When does it start and end?

Just before bedtime on Friday and finishes Sunday just before midnight. Weekend of the 12th & 13th December, 2009.

How should I prepare?

Get matches, candles, fire extinguisher and check smoke detectors will work without electricity. If your telephones are powered by electricity, make sure your mobile is charged. Print off any essential info you might need, like phone numbers of people or important ID. Start by preparing, such as backing up your computer, sorting out what to do with you excess food.

Have some alternatives ready to occupy your time, like board or card games, walks or bicycles planned. Consider whether you need to tell anybody what you’re doing, who might be concerned if you aren’t answering your emails for 2 days or picking up the phone. Here are 101 things to do, if you need inspiration!

What happens when it’s done?

Write up your experience and complete the post-weekend questionnaire.
What if my child or partner has some urgent project or homework to be completed during the weekend?

The more the challenge this weekend is, the more you’ll get out of it. But you need to ask all people participating whether they are prepared to adapt. For example, they may be able to tell their teacher or boss that they’re doing this and get their support. If their boss or mentor isn’t understanding, another possibility is to write something on paper or go to a neighbour’s house.

What if this weekend isn’t a convenient weekend? Can I do it another weekend?

It is supposed to be dealing with the unexpected. If it’s not inconvenient, then you perhaps won’t gain anything from it. Ultimately, it’s for you to decide but you will miss out on the shared experience of others doing it at the same time as you if you choose not to go this weekend.

What if we have problems like the kids throw a tantrum, or someone wants to watch an “essential” TV show, or a partner refuses midway to continue?

Pain is temporary, giving up is forever. However the point of the experiment is more about being aware of your relationship with electricity rather than simply completing two days without.

Spread the word and click on the Power Off picture below to sign up, now.

More FAQs:

What is an eco-friendly and cheap alternative to candles?

Since regular candles use petrochemicals, and beeswax candles are expensive, we suggest using scallop shell lanterns, which are cheap/free to make, very bright, and beautiful. Have a look:

Tags: Environment, Poweroff

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