To be clear as to the extent of Earth's "supposed" damage: think "Worldwide Burning of Alexandria (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_alexandria#Destruction_of_the_Library)". How could we cope with a sudden breakdown in infrastructure and still hold the Internet together?
I'm thinking that it would involve a lot of wifi hopping. I was looking to discuss some other hackerish ways.
Thinking about it more, what about:
* A lot of dedicated space on computers for p2p/reversion control gracefully degrading storage. To preserve knowledge.
* An ability to utilize any computer with a unified OS.
* Power and battery systems: UPS and a preservation of laptops and netbooks? Perhaps some mobile phones (though the iPhone doesn't come to mind, for obvious reasons).
* Mailing beacons? A way to Old Pentium II boxes with some puppy Linux and a wireless antenna?
* A change in culture: growing a hacker ethic in children and getting people to pass on their knowledge, rather than use it for profit (or limit the growth of such use to 3rd-world nations; etc).