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.

Comments

Always More Power... YOU BETCHA!

[Saeed al-Sahaf]

I take it you live on a commune, and run your computer on hampster and wind power? Fire up your heater with methane from your farm animal's shit, do you? Peddle to work on a bike? Use newspaper for toilet paper just to get maximum useage?

Seriously, as a society we consume the amount of electricity we do because we demand the standard of living that we do. When you are ready to give up your computer / TV / radio / stereo / CD player / car / iPod (yes, your iPod will have to go!), then go ahead and harp all you want about energy consumption. Untill then...

Re:Memories?

[re-Verse]

I live in Toronto, Canada. The largest city in Canada, and it was completely peaceful. In fact, people with generators threw parties down town, there were a few djs spinning outside of a record shop, hooked up to a generator... Japanese food and wood oven cooked stuff was everywhere, and there was a real sense of community. Neighborhoods came alive with communal barbeques, and you could see the milky way so clearly at night. There was a real sense of beauty to everything. I brought water to the elderly women on the floor of the highrise i was in, and when the power came back, they brought me endless dishes of delicious indian food. Its one of my fondest memories of this city. So much that I've heard more than a few people wish we could have a "blackout night" once a month in the nicer summer months.. to erase our technology and embrace human culture, and nature, if only for a little while. I didn't even really think about my computer while the power was out, and I usually live on it. I know there was a lot of damage and harm from all of it, but a lot of us experienced something beautiful.