Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Texas

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    #51
    I'm pretty sure that Etienne has correctly identified the source of confusion. The idea of needing to cool houses is almost completely alien to the UK.

    Comment


      #52
      Or indeed cooking appliances heated by mains gas
      Again, caveats on expertise, but from what I've read this is not common in Texas, outside of barbecues.

      Comment


        #53
        I'm trying to work out what would happen here if there was a complete power outage for weeks on end. We have a gas fired boiler which heats water for a central heating system, but it does require a minimal amount of electricity to start it in the first place so in theory, if it went out, it might be impossible to restart it.

        If we didn't have our central heating, we don't really have an alternative way of heating the house. Our oven is electric, we have an electric microwave and an electric kettle. We have a barbecue and a smoker for outside use which wouldn't be much help. We don't stock much fuel for it anyway. We've got maybe one bag of charcoal and some decorative ornamental logs in the lounge which could be burned in an emergency. We have lighters and matches so could start a fire fairly easily.

        Our house is probably better insulated than the average house in Texas but it wouldn't stay warm for long.

        Hmm, am off to consider stocking the house with more useful survivalist stuff.

        Comment


          #54
          The take-away from Texas's power travails isn't that renewable energy is unreliable, it's that all power supply sources are vulnerable to unexpected weather events, occurrences which global warming is making more likely. Power facilities will need to be proofed to cope with a much wider range of possible weather scenarios and extremes.

          Comment


            #55
            Originally posted by Ginger Yellow View Post

            Again, caveats on expertise, but from what I've read this is not common in Texas, outside of barbecues.
            And most of those would be fueled by small propane cylinders refilled once a season at Costco or such.

            Comment


              #56
              In the big 2003 blackout, we did pretty well. But it was a comfy mid-August, we live in a house and are healthy. People in high rises had to haul their goods up 24 flights of stairs, and people needing oxygen machines or other devices were quite frightened.

              Comment


                #57
                Sorry, my rhetorical question was interpreted literally. Millions of people in Texas rely solely on electricity for all of their cooking and heating. They aren't going to be able to boil water. Luckily lots of them won't have access to water either.

                Comment


                  #58
                  Originally posted by Balderdasha View Post
                  I'm trying to work out what would happen here if there was a complete power outage for weeks on end. We have a gas fired boiler which heats water for a central heating system, but it does require a minimal amount of electricity to start it in the first place so in theory, if it went out, it might be impossible to restart it.

                  If we didn't have our central heating, we don't really have an alternative way of heating the house. Our oven is electric, we have an electric microwave and an electric kettle. We have a barbecue and a smoker for outside use which wouldn't be much help. We don't stock much fuel for it anyway. We've got maybe one bag of charcoal and some decorative ornamental logs in the lounge which could be burned in an emergency. We have lighters and matches so could start a fire fairly easily.

                  Our house is probably better insulated than the average house in Texas but it wouldn't stay warm for long.

                  Hmm, am off to consider stocking the house with more useful survivalist stuff.
                  Yes, our hoiuse has gas fired central heating that irritatingly needs some electricity. The gas cooker has those little electrical spark devices so those can be bypassed through the use of a match. Our biggest issue (and we have fairly regular power cuts, so I have been through this) is that our water is pumped from a well...and the pump is of course electric. So, no heating, no water, no light etc. I can make a fire and cook things on the stove top, but that's about it.

                  Comment


                    #59
                    I know how to make wood and coal fires, sometimes using portable ovens. I also am au fait with ,kerosine lighting. I know how to kill chickens and ducks. I think I'd be ok.

                    Comment


                      #60
                      I'd be dead in a minute.

                      Comment


                        #61
                        As will many people in Texas.

                        Comment


                          #62
                          For the reason TonTon states, a lot of the people under "boil water notices" will not be doing so.

                          The primary purpose of such notices in the circumstances is to attempt to limit the water company's liability to customers who inevitably get sick from untreated water.

                          And yes, the decision to construct an autarkic grid really was motivated by an obsession with avoiding Federal regulation.

                          Comment


                            #63
                            Managed to finally check-in with a friend of mine in north-west Austin, who still has full power, water and gas supplies but appears to be in a very fortunate minority. He reported that it was -15c overnight on Tuesday.

                            Comment


                              #64
                              Well, i guess my winter camping gear would be useful...plus the woodstove...

                              Comment


                                #65
                                There's also a natural gas outage in Austin, which will take "a couple of days" to fix.

                                Comment


                                  #66
                                  Here's the statement in full by that former mayor of Colorado City, TX:

                                  Comment


                                    #67
                                    Originally posted by Nocturnal Submission View Post
                                    The take-away from Texas's power travails isn't that renewable energy is unreliable, it's that all power supply sources are vulnerable to unexpected weather events, occurrences which global warming is making more likely. Power facilities will need to be proofed to cope with a much wider range of possible weather scenarios and extremes.
                                    I would caveat that with "unless precautions are taken". Texas determined it was unlikely to get cold, so as a method to either keep prices as low as possible / make as much profit as possible (select according to your personal viewpoint) they determined not to spend money on many of the recognized ways to deal with the risks.

                                    It is cold every year in other places and these things don't happen. This is all likely due to their light handed regulation (noted above) and negligence dressed as "keeping prices low".

                                    Comment


                                      #68
                                      Originally posted by TonTon View Post
                                      Sorry, my rhetorical question was interpreted literally. Millions of people in Texas rely solely on electricity for all of their cooking and heating. They aren't going to be able to boil water. Luckily lots of them won't have access to water either.
                                      Also, most people would find out about the boil water message from TV, radio or computers, none of which will be working.

                                      Comment


                                        #69
                                        Even electricity grid systems as robust and winter-ready as Quebec's can fall victim to 'once every hundred years' events such as the Quebec Ice Storm. It's really easy to say 'they should have planned for this', but nobody in Texas is going to engineer a power grid for a Quebec-style winter storm. It simply makes no sense. The whole 'not a part of the national grid' is another matter entirely, I hasten to add.

                                        Comment


                                          #70
                                          Essentially, as always, the problem is capitalism. And people will die as a result.

                                          Comment


                                            #71
                                            Originally posted by TonTon View Post
                                            Essentially, as always, the problem is capitalism. And people will die as a result.
                                            Are dying

                                            https://twitter.com/summeranne/status/1362165929820385284?s=21

                                            Comment


                                              #72
                                              Yes of course, are dying and will continue to die.

                                              Comment


                                                #73
                                                Originally posted by WOM View Post
                                                Even electricity grid systems as robust and winter-ready as Quebec's can fall victim to 'once every hundred years' events such as the Quebec Ice Storm. It's really easy to say 'they should have planned for this', but nobody in Texas is going to engineer a power grid for a Quebec-style winter storm. It simply makes no sense. The whole 'not a part of the national grid' is another matter entirely, I hasten to add.
                                                Once in every hundred year events happen a lot more frequently than once in every hundred years. I am not talking preparing for a Quebec Style winter storm. There will be a huge amount of differences between Quebec and Texas, and in that range there will be plenty of things that you are absolutely amazed that Texas has not taken as a precaution on its power grid.

                                                Texas has a very negligent attitude to power, end-to-end. It is all rather tragic and a lot of it will be negligence.

                                                Comment


                                                  #74
                                                  https://twitter.com/kateweaverUT/status/1362221512577740800?s=20

                                                  Austin is an extraordinary place. But amongst other things it's the city of deals and money.

                                                  I've never been made to feel poorer than going into a menswear shop in Austin near the Capitol

                                                  Comment


                                                    #75
                                                    Originally posted by caja-dglh View Post
                                                    Once in every hundred year events happen a lot more frequently than once in every hundred years.
                                                    In the NHS we have things called "never events". Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust had six never events between February and October last year. Not particularly relevant, just came to mind.

                                                    How do they calculate "one hundred year events"?

                                                    Comment

                                                    Working...
                                                    X