PG&E power outage in Northern California

[cathy63]

Fair enough... but did PG&E give people fair warning so they could prepare? They must have know many months ago that these shutdowns were possible to reduce the risk of wild fires.... did they let residents know so the residents could prepare? The first I heard of it was a couple days ago.

I live in the SDG&E service area, which has been doing these types of shutoffs for several years, though apparently they've gone unnoticed by the national media. We've had lots of information about this policy over the years, even though our town is not in a potential shutoff area.

As far as PG&E, yes, there's also been information put out in their service areas as well. I know my mother has gotten multiple informational inserts in her bills and I also saw the local news coverage about this policy months ago when I was visiting her and all the lawsuits and bankruptcies were getting a lot of coverage. It caught my attention then because I recognized it as the same thing SDG&E does and I was kind of surprised that PG&E had not adopted the strategy sooner.

For more direct notification, some of my family members also received multiple automated phone calls over the past few days warning them that a power shutoff could happen in their area within 24 to 48 hours. I think those are reverse-911 calls, so not initiated by PG&E, but by the local city and county governments who operate those systems.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I agree... global warming is irrefutable and just fact.... and while the causes of global warming are debatable, there is a general consensus on the causes as well but not unanimity.

From the NASA web site: "Yes, the vast majority of actively publishing climate scientists – 97 percent – agree that humans are causing global warming and climate change. Most of the leading science organizations around the world have issued public statements expressing this, including international and U.S. science academies, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and a whole host of reputable scientific bodies around the world. A list of these organizations is provided here."

 

[Music Lover]

You don't have to put climate in quotes, since climate changes is a science based fact, not a personal opinion or political view. Per National Geographic and other science based articles, climate change is making California (and other parts of the world) hotter and drier than it used to be and that is driving larger fires.

I can't dispute this without risking shutting down the thread. I'll just say that climate is not a cut and dried science and there are far too many variables that affect it, many of which are not fully understood and leave it at that.

 

[kgtest]

PGE stock is down like 30% today. Everyone better prepare for a new reality...municipal power! YAY, CLAP HANDS!! We all love government run services!

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I can't dispute this without risking shutting down the thread. I'll just say that climate is not a cut and dried science and there are far too many variables that affect it, many of which are not fully understood and leave it at that.

I don't believe there is any policy here of not being able to post scientific, fact based links to articles from reputable science sites like National Geographic or NASA, so feel free to post any links from any major science organizations for discussion.

 

[travelover]

..... there is a general consensus on the causes as well but not unanimity.

That could also be said of the theory that the earth is round or that it orbits the sun.

 

[Music Lover]

That could also be said of the theory that the earth is round or that it orbits the sun.

That's not a fair comparison. Scientists know exactly how long it takes the Earth to orbit the sun but no one can accurately predict the weather 5 days from now, never mind 50 years from now.

 

[Chuckanut]

Which is worse for California's citizens. Not having electric power for several days, or not being able to produce or buy foie gras?

California is rather unique. They have their own blend of gasoline, their own (maybe not anymore) auto emission rules, and plenty of unique 'good' causes to defend (like the aforementioned foie gras, banning travel size shampoo bottles, 11 states that state money can't be used to travel to, etc. ). It's kind of a state of mind. You either understand it, or you are 'Out of Their Mind'.

Perhaps their elected representatives should have paid more attention to the electrical energy supply system than to how geese are fed, and the size of shampoo bottles in hotels. Or maybe they are doing exactly what the people of that state want them to do?

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Which is worse for California's citizens. Not having electric power for several days, or not being able to produce or buy foie gras?

California is rather unique. They have their own blend of gasoline, their own (maybe not anymore) auto emission rules, and plenty of unique 'good' causes to defend (like the aforementioned foie gras, banning travel size shampoo bottles, 11 states that state money can't be used to travel to, etc. ). It's kind of a state of mind. You either understand it, or you are 'Out of Their Mind'.

Perhaps their elected representatives should have paid more attention to the electrical energy supply system than to how geese are fed, and the size of shampoo bottles in hotels. Or maybe they are doing exactly what the people of that state want them to do?

Reducing plastic use is not limited to California. It is a global movement and directly tied to climate change.

The foie gras laws are intended to prevent animal cruelty. These are not uncommon laws worldwide. Foie gras is banned in many countries due to cruelty -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foie_gras_controversy

 

[Alan]

Sorry folks, this could have been a useful discussion, and may be again, if we can avoid diving into contentious issues such as foie gras and climate change.