Technology Resilience

Introduction
Our culture today is leading us toward greater and greater dependence upon a web of interlocking technologies. This creates a serious vulnerability to real or imagined catastrophes. I am proposing the establishment of the Phoenix Project to develope new standards for repairability, survivability and independence. Consider this question. If there were only 100 people left on earth, how long would it take to recover civilization? R years. Another question. What percentage of mankind must remain after a catastrophe to still recover in 50 years? P percent. To answer either of these questions, we must try to visualize a recovery process. The purpose of the Phoenix Project is to minimize R and P.
The Catastrophe
The catastrophy would be some sequence one or more of the following: Power failure, disease, war, computer chaos, famine, over-population, hate, fear, contamination, climate, accident, loss of communication, suicide, etc. These tend to lead to one another so its difficult and perhaps irrelevant what the cause is. The onset might be abrupt or gradual
The Recovery
The recovery will include establishing communication among the survivors, stopping losses, inventory of resources, establishing order, restoration of stable population, and rebuilding.
Communicating with the Survivors
We don't know who the survivors will be. Will they be remote islanders in the Pacific? Will they be desert nomads in Africa? Will they be genetically rare souls sparsely scattered throughout the population? Will they be a small number of underground workers such as miners? Will they be inhabitants of a remote Himalayan valley village? Whoever they are, one priority will be to find who else survived and to establish establish friendly relations with them. Cooperation will be essential. A diversity of skills will assist in survival and recovery.
Stopping Losses
Following a catastrophy, things will continue to deteriorate. Deterioration may be accellerated by misuse and disuse. Loss of air-conditioning can cause severe damage. Likewise, water can cause irreversable damage if action is not taken care of immediately. Damage to infrastructure can cause health and property hazards. Loss of discipline can result in chaos and rioting. Immediate establishment of authority and order may be vital. Having a plan or policy can help.
Emergency Management
Planning for emergencies.