Reality TV shows like the Discovery Channel's Doomsday Bunkers and National Geographic Channel's Doomsday Preppers perpetuate a stereotype of "preppers" that omits the wide swath of people who engage in preparedness in a less extreme and more varied way.
Talk of nuclear war, climate apocalypse, pandemic, economic instability, and the decline of democracy has led more people to think about how to survive a catastrophic -- if not apocalyptic -- event.
Do you buy organic food? Will you drink only bottled water? Do you avoid antibiotics? You may not have an underground bunker but you might have a generator, short wave radio, extra batteries and a supply of canned foods.
Today, we dive into the real world of "preppers."
GUEST:
- Tea Krulos- Freelance journalist and the author of Heroes in the Night, Monster Hunters, and most recently, Apocalypse Any Day Now: Deep Underground with America’s Doomsday Preppers
- Mike Davidson - Metal fabricator and a member of Zombie Squad
- Jon Stokes - Founder of Ars Technica; currently Deputy Editor of The Prepared
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Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.