Wednesday, March 27, 2013

NASA and Light pollution

I'm taking a much needed break from my studies to write this short post. I posted this picture of the new NASA night image of the United States in an earlier post.



I ran across this map of light pollution across the United States, and thought it would be a nice addition, especially since the pollution map has a county breakdown. More light equals more people, so we can use this as a tool for population density and retreat selection.

Click image to make it even bigger.

Another tool for population density is in most people's pockets. It is your cell phone and the number of bars that are available at your location. I would consider this a financial population density tool, since most companies are not going to build towers for very low rates of return on their investments.

Sweetheart and I had a short discussion on cell phone coverage and our future retreat location(s) selection.

I have provided one cell phone coverage map, and I imagine that a more complete search will provide even more maps. This is just to provide an visual example:


Perhaps, a cell phone coverage map of your state would provide a more detailed image for your use?

Just food for thought. Comments are always welcomed an encouraged.

Keep Right On Prepping - K

4 comments:

  1. I have a radically different view on the light pollution/population map. I believe it should be overlapped with an annual rainfall and ground water map to get a real feel for where a person should retreat to.

    That belt running South to North that includes the middle states is the place to be. Out West you get pockets of prime land but the lions share of it is too dry to survive on. You want water and people fairly close. Just not too close.

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    1. Agreed, a few maps should be overlaid for retreat selection. Water being very important, probably THE top criteria for our retreat selection.

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  2. At the macro scale shown, water maps won't be of much use. Perhaps precipitation will be more helpful, as there is desert and semi-desert, a difference of many inches of rain per year. I can give several examples of small valleys in my part of the arid southwest with no cell phone coverage (which we appreciate!) and groundwater at less than 20 feet (hand pump territory if necessary). Like the old knight says in The Last Crusade, "you must choose wisely."

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    1. No cell phone coverage and a low water table sounds wonderful to me. It seems that a local such as yourself would be a great resource for a new "homesteader" to the area. "Choose wisely" indeed.

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