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Task Force Finds Blackout Was Preventable
Shakrai writes "In what will probably be the last we hear of this subject CNN is carrying a story that states what we already suspected: the August blackout was preventable. One of the more interesting observations from this article is that this task force will remain active for the next year to push for their changes and improvements to be adopted. Does anyone think any change will come of this? If you lived in the Northeast US or Canada what were your memories of the August Blackout?" The full report is available at reports.energy.gov.
Denmark does it using mostly coal plants though which we Swedes - living east of Denmark - aren't exactly fond of.
... not all countries do ;)
They don't like our nuclear powerplant close to Copenhagen though, so I guess it's vice versa.
We won't go to war over it though
it's in my head
You must remember, we have always been at war with Eastasia.
Hopelessly pedantic since 1963.
I knew you Canadians were a bunch of damned hippies, and it only took a blackout to prove it. I vote we change all our maps to refer to Canada as the "polar commune" and close the border.
Hey,
Here's the thing you see, there are a million and one ways we can all use less electricity and keep every gadget we run and more, here's some examples:
Monitors - How many are still running CRTs? Throw it away, get a TFT and it'll pay for itself in saved power within three years.
Lightbulbs - Not using energy efficient ones? No excuse - they use less that half the power and produce just as much light (40w = 100w).
Appliances - Trying to save on your white goods? make sure you buy ones with clear information on the electricity they use, again, a little more spent on purchace can easily make itself back in bills.
Compact your trash!!!
Don't buy the most overpackaged one in the store!!!
Here's some harder ones...
Heating - Thermal transfer heating is a viable alternative (bore two holes, about 50' each into the ground, pump some luquid with suitable thermal properties around them and the heat from the earth can be used to warm your house in summer and cool it on winter. Perhaps not one for Alaska but easy for anywhere temperate.
Flame bate:
I really wouldn't expect an American to understand this. Your domestic appliances haven't seen an update since 1963 (they're still brown and come with stick-on wood effect trip for christs sake!), Your have the most unbeleavable bigger is better attitude (the Biggest Taco, the Biggest Burger, the Biggest Fridge, the Biggest car), Your utility companies operate a quite unbeleavable coroprate profit model (can you say Enron), you don't build sidewalks and so drive EVERYWHERE - even down the street to where you shop and eat, in corner malls and complexes made of the same textured, moulded concrete containing the same shops repeated mile after endless mile.