Yep - done!
Thanks Salty!
Thanks Salty!
PGE: Safety Shutdowns
- Thread starter Busta Nutz
- Start date
Ima Paradox
Well-Known Member
Having never been from California, I live the other coast, but i remember fires in California as far back as the early 70's. And I am just wondering, and I seriously do not want to sound like a smart ass, but why is this years fires or even last years or the year before any worse than when they occurred in the 70's? I wonder if most of the issue today is way more people know about each fire today than when they occurred in the 70's. I mean could we all as a society be just actually experiencing media hype when compared to way back then? (I really hope no-one gets offended here)
Having never been from California, I live the other coast, but i remember fires in California as far back as the early 70's. And I am just wondering, and I seriously do not want to sound like a smart ass, but why is this years fires or even last years or the year before any worse than when they occurred in the 70's? I wonder if most of the issue today is way more people know about each fire today than when they occurred in the 70's. I mean could we all as a society be just actually experiencing media hype when compared to way back then? (I really hope no-one gets offended here)
they are larger, last longer, more destructive, kill more people, spread faster, all the fun stuff climate has brought us.
Bluter is correct. You can see my post above, but I’ll repeat it here.
Extended drought conditions have resulted in hundreds of thousands of acres of dying plantation trees. Decades of forestry mismanagement has resulted in heavy underbrush that would normally get cleared out naturally by periodic fires. In the meantime, a lot of people have moved into areas that must now be protected from wildland fires.
BTW, we were not evacuated due to the 4 small fires surrounding us. We only had our electricity shut off by PG&E.
Extended drought conditions have resulted in hundreds of thousands of acres of dying plantation trees. Decades of forestry mismanagement has resulted in heavy underbrush that would normally get cleared out naturally by periodic fires. In the meantime, a lot of people have moved into areas that must now be protected from wildland fires.
BTW, we were not evacuated due to the 4 small fires surrounding us. We only had our electricity shut off by PG&E.
- Thread starter
- #25
Busta Nutz
Well-Known Member
Today is now day 4 without electricity...The Weather on the coast was beautiful. The state defunded all major logging operations which in essence policed the forests. PGE Is currently being held responsible for the paradise fires where 80+ died I believe. They are shutting down their outdated grid thinking that it will help but little do they know that they have now empowered 2 million idiots with matches. Its corruption at it's best...I've lived in Mendo County for 40 years...its only worse now because they defunded maintaining the grid and clearing trees from the lines...I can show you a picture right across from my house with tree branches in the lines..they should have been buried decades ago.
Here's hoping you get your power back, and that it's not shut down again for a 'Public Safety Power Shutoff.'
It costs an arm and a leg to bury power and communications lines. If you are burying them in rock, you have to ensure your trenches drain properly as well, and costs skyrocket from there.
Most people are short-sighted, and want to keep their hard earned cash to spend for themselves now, rather than secure their futures. That, and the 'It won't happen to me' syndrome meant the fires, with their inconvenience and deaths pretty much had to happen before things changed. Here's hoping this year's fires are finally enough to change people's minds, and make this a priority.
It costs an arm and a leg to bury power and communications lines. If you are burying them in rock, you have to ensure your trenches drain properly as well, and costs skyrocket from there.
Most people are short-sighted, and want to keep their hard earned cash to spend for themselves now, rather than secure their futures. That, and the 'It won't happen to me' syndrome meant the fires, with their inconvenience and deaths pretty much had to happen before things changed. Here's hoping this year's fires are finally enough to change people's minds, and make this a priority.
- Thread starter
- #27
Busta Nutz
Well-Known Member
Today is deep into day 5...such a pain in the ass. I'm 42 and I can only assume the stress this is putting on the older community.
Jackalope
Well-Known Member
I saw on the news that California wants to take control of the power after the bankruptcy trial against PG&E. If that happens California is really screwed.
The state can’t run things any worse than PG&E, and the public (and business) is already getting screwed.
You never know - it might be an improvement.
You never know - it might be an improvement.
Good luck with that. If the state takes over the company, they'll also probably be liable for the debt. Yep - screw your neighbor.
The rate payers are going to be paying for PG&E’s mis-management anyway. At least the multi-million dollar executive bonuses will end.
HydroponicFireman
Well-Known Member
The sad fact is that the American power grid is cobbled together by various bankrupt and shitty companies. If we don't get a smart grid soon and invest in our infrastructure this will be more common thanks to global warming. The Cali problem is made worse because the power company in question is not publicly owned....so they have old equipment and only care about their shareholders' pocketbooks than safety for the past decade.
Texas has their own power grid
. They know whats up.
Texas has their own power grid
. They know whats up.
The sad fact is that the American power grid is cobbled together by various bankrupt and shitty companies. If we don't get a smart grid soon and invest in our infrastructure this will be more common thanks to global warming. The Cali problem is made worse because the power company in question is not publicly owned....so they have old equipment and only care about their shareholders' pocketbooks than safety for the past decade.
Texas has their own power grid
Texas also does not face the delivery problems California faces. High gusting winds slamming power lines together create sparks that easily ignite the bone dry vegetation.
Burying the power lines is very costly, and would at least double their power costs if done over a five year period. State controlled pricing means there's no cash for that. You don't expect a for-profit company to pay for that unless there's a return on their investment do you? Yes those executive bonuses piss people off. They are nothing compared to the cost of fixing the problem. They are what you have to pay for top executives. Just check any corporations with the same amount invested in their infrastructure. You can't get a top dog for nothing! Why do you think top sports and entertainment figures are worth their salaries and bonuses, but not top level executives?
Sheesh it pisses me off! Here in Nova Scotia we have crown prosecutors, and doctors who paid their own way through school, sacrificing seven or more years of income, making less than city bus drivers.
HydroponicFireman
Well-Known Member
Yes, its costly, but thats why we awarded them a monopoly in a capitalist society...not exactly a capitalist ideal...btw a monopoly guarantees a profit....literally thats how the business model is made. We gave them this honor in the hopes they would serve their customers instead of shareholders and be more concerned with providing power sustainably, safely and cheaply (now that they don't have to compete in the market) instead of cutting every single corner they can to make as much money as possible as quickly as possible at the cost of human lives. And I dont think any professional athletes or C-level executives are worth their salaries...at least not in America...but thats a whole new discussion. Lets just say they are neither 5,000x smarter or more hard working than anyone else.
Jackalope
Well-Known Member
Politics and bullshit. How the hell did we get drug into that world LOL. Isn't this the happy stoner wed site LMAO. I know for me my views vary on lots of things. Lots of them contradict each other.
The real world is out there. We all know about that. When I found I was all in on this discussion. It made me think. WHY. That stuff is in the real world. Separate from the small world I have created for myself growing. I like my little world. So I think I better stay there. At least for the time I am HERE.
This thread IS real world stuff and is important to lots of people. Now that I realize it is not important to me. I think this is a good time to bow out of the discussing. Weed has become political now. If the laws are going to change it has to be. I can not control that part. I can control how much politics I let it into MY weed world though.
The real world is out there. We all know about that. When I found I was all in on this discussion. It made me think. WHY. That stuff is in the real world. Separate from the small world I have created for myself growing. I like my little world. So I think I better stay there. At least for the time I am HERE.
This thread IS real world stuff and is important to lots of people. Now that I realize it is not important to me. I think this is a good time to bow out of the discussing. Weed has become political now. If the laws are going to change it has to be. I can not control that part. I can control how much politics I let it into MY weed world though.
Agreed. I think the takeaway from our experience is that if you’re going to grow indoors during fire season (July-November), you should be prepared for the electricity to be turned off.
Personally, I will be going back to growing outdoors in the future.
Personally, I will be going back to growing outdoors in the future.
HydroponicFireman
Well-Known Member
Yeah, sorry I used to work for a power company.....an actually good one though....so I know have a bit of an inside view on what *should* be happening with a power company and how much these people didn't do. They got sued and went bankrupt BEFORE this happened for killing people because of their lack of upkeep and safety. They clearly didn't care...and people died because of it. Then they blamed everyone else....like that trash truck driver.
But please dont confuse that as political...it has nothing to do with any candidates, political parties or the government in general. It was the economic model that fed their greed and then rewarded it. It was the lack of oversight and enforcement of regulations that led to this. I feel like its become a trend to dismiss anything that can have disagreement is "political" and shouldn't be discussed....theres nothing wrong with disagreement or different points of view....its a good thing. I can empathise with not wanting to discuss politics....politics and rationality rarely intersect.
What its about is economic systems and how a company should compete in our capitalist society (and allowed to fail) or given a monopoly (I mean you dont want 8 power lines going to every single persons house from 8 different power companies do you?) and now needs to invest in their own company for their shareholders (which is now the public).
Bottom line is that power outages will be more and more common. Buy a generator. Be prepared.
But please dont confuse that as political...it has nothing to do with any candidates, political parties or the government in general. It was the economic model that fed their greed and then rewarded it. It was the lack of oversight and enforcement of regulations that led to this. I feel like its become a trend to dismiss anything that can have disagreement is "political" and shouldn't be discussed....theres nothing wrong with disagreement or different points of view....its a good thing. I can empathise with not wanting to discuss politics....politics and rationality rarely intersect.
What its about is economic systems and how a company should compete in our capitalist society (and allowed to fail) or given a monopoly (I mean you dont want 8 power lines going to every single persons house from 8 different power companies do you?) and now needs to invest in their own company for their shareholders (which is now the public).
Bottom line is that power outages will be more and more common. Buy a generator. Be prepared.
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