Sunday 10 May 2015

juneau learns to conserve

The halls of the Capitol are dark. Already cool homes are getting cooler. People are line-drying their clothes and using propane lamps. If you havent heard, an avalanche took out the transmission line to Juneaus main source of power -- a hydroelectric project -- and electricity rates are expected to quintuple for the next few months as the utility shifts to diesel generators. Theres talk of businesses not making it, non-profits closing their doors, etc. The city is considering using its entire emergency reserve to avoid laying off employees, among other things.
If your electric bill was 100 bucks a month, now its 500. The question seems to be, How do I cut my consumption to one-fifth what it was, and people are thinking, suddenly, about the electricity that goes into a hot shower or hot tea.
Ive got lots of outdoors pics to put up, and will soon.
Theres also some climate news -- Gov. Palins subcabinet has chosen a bunch of people to serve on advisory and technical workgroups, including many from Fairbanks and many from environmental groups. Read more about it at the state climate change site.
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