2012: End Is Nye?

The hills around Waitsburg were socked in Monday. Fog as thick as split pea soup obscured everything but a dozen feet in front.

It was a reminder that it's sometimes hard to know or see what lies ahead.

According to some students of history and prophets of doom, that's the way it will be for the global community in 2012.

We're not talking about the normal ups and downs of the international economy or oil prices or food prices or regional conflicts.

We're talking about the end of the world as we know it.

It's supposed to happen about a year from now. The Mayan calendar ends in December 2012, foreshadowing the end of human civilization due to some cataclysmic cosmic event that will exterminate most life on earth.

Some pseudo scientists predict the earth will succumb to the effect of a giant solar flare, disrupting major electrical grids in the western world and destroying the power infrastructure that keeps our societies going.

But don't build that bunker just yet.

We consulted the NASA website and learned that it appears we'll be just fine next year.

One Mayan long-count period ends in December of next year before another begins - kind of like the 2011 calendar on the wall that expires on Dec. 31. Big deal.

The site similarly debunks other claims that errand planets will clash with earth, comets and asteroids will pound the world, the earth will reverse its rotation or giant solar storms will consume all communications systems and cripple electrical grids.

It never hurts to be ready for a disaster. The Touchet River Valley is vulnerable to flooding as most of its residents know. In addition to making ongoing flood mitigation efforts to contain or channel the Touchet and Coppei, Dayton and Waitsburg would be well advised to keep up its disaster preparedness.

Beyond that, there could always be minor trouble on the power grid. With a heightened dependence on computers, micro chips, cell phones, the Internet and so on, relatively remote communities like those in the Touchet Valley are vulnerable to the effect of a prolonged power failure.

It make good sense for city agencies, businesses and households to have a backup infrastructure consisting of equipment powered by generators or by hand. It's always good to have a full pantry, flash lights with extra batteries, emergency medical supplies, alternative sources of heat, etc.

Longterm, it also makes sense for us to take advantage of improvements in technology that can make homes and buildings less dependent on traditional sources of power and transportation.

We recently read about a village in Germany, with a population barely twice the size of Waitsburg's and smaller than Dayton, that was selling three times its electrical power use back to the national grid through use of solar, wind and biogas energy.

That could be us. We know of few valley residents who like being dependent on foreign fossil fuels for our long term energy needs. We have to begin planning for a more sustainable future.

We owe that to our kids, our planet and our security.

It shouldn't take the prospect of a big disaster to inspire such vision and local independence.

Still, if an unforeseen disaster does strike in 2012, there are probably few places more desirable to be holed up than Waitsburg or Dayton, where residents are well known for pulling together and helping each other out in times of adversity.

For that is a true sign of civility.