On Tue, 20 Feb 2001, Kristin A. Ruhle wrote:
> Julia, you and other Brinlers in Texas aren't going to like this, but I am
> very offended by these Texans smirking and sneering at our power problems
> in California and making parody "1000KWH" license plates.
I'm not sneering, personally. Just amazed at the stupidity of the
restructuring of the utility regulation in California -- this sort of
thing was bound to happen sooner or later, and maybe it's better that it
happened sooner. (Forcing the retailers to buy on the spot market?
That's just asking for them to have to pay through the nose eventually!)
> You don't see much conservation or alternative energy in Texas! Also,
> Houston has surpassed L.A. for worst smog I hear.
Gee, I guess those vehicles labelled as "natural gas powered" and "no
emission" (i.e., electrical) that I find myself in traffic with are
mislabelled? There are some organizations and individuals that are
interested in conservation and reducing emissions. Of course, it would
help if there weren't quite so many SUVs on the road (and I, as a driver
of a sedan, would be a bit happier if not so many of them pulled up on my
left, too far forward, when I'm wanting to make a right turn), but other
than refrain from buying one (and if we do get a pickup truck, use it as
little as possible while getting the use out of it that we think we'll
need a pickup truck for), there's a limit as to what I personally can do.
Besides, of course, use the derision that I'm not using for the California
politicians (which are NOT the same as the general population of
California) for people driving these ridiculously large vehicles who
complain about the cost of gasoline. (Not that I've heard that lately so
much as people complaining about their natural gas bills....)
(Have you seen a Ford Excursion up close? It is scary. At least an
18-wheeler is *supposed* to be big; an Excursion is just way more than
most of the people buying them should really need.)
> SO we in California are "environmental fanatics" according to your
> Senator Gramm? Well Texans are a bunch of religoius nuts who all
> think the world is going to end tomorrow and don't care about saving
> energy, so there! One is about as true as the other. It's insulting.
> Not everybody in Texas is a religious fanatic nor is everybody in CA
> an eco fanatic, but the cultures ARE very different. ANd it seems sad
> but true that only shortage makes people conserve. Contemptuous
> attitudes toward the environment, greed and so fort hare slowly
> destroying our planet.
1) Not everyone in Texas likes Gramm. If someone digs up the results of
the last election, you'll find that while a majority voted for him, not
*everyone* did.
2) Some Texans do care. Before anyone goes off on how they don't, look
at Bruce Sterling -- he's one of the people who volunteered for putting
solar panels on his house to reduce the amount of electricity generated by
polluting sources used by his household. And I don't know about the rest
of the state as much as I know about Austin, but I hear a lot of ads on
the radio for various businesses that will help you do an energy audit of
your house and make recommendations on how you can bring your heating &
cooling bills down -- and that's going to mean less natural gas and less
electricity used by your house, PLUS they point out whatever rebate the
city-owned utility is going to give in an effort to get people to do
things that will, in the long run, conserve resources. (Of course, one
other thing that's pushed is getting a new heating & cooling system, which
will benefit the business selling & installing the thing, but if it's
going to cost less in the long run, and the city-owned utility will
subsidize it a little bit, then it's ultimately good for the homeowner,
right?)
> Kristin
> OK, so I've probably offended you - but I'm offended.
Kristin, I was never lumping you in with anyone in California who had much
to do with the electricity problems out there. Addressing this post to me
irritated me somewhat -- but you got me to answer. Was that your intent?
My husband was out in California last month, and met with some folks from
California when he was in Ithaca early this month, and his complaint is
that most of the people who are bitching about the problem don't
understand the root of it, but he's been very careful NOT to say anything
that might offend them, and express some sympathy. I guess what drove the
whole thing home to me as much as anything else was that when we picked
him up at the airport and were heading out to the car, that in the
elevator he told us it was the first time in awhile that he'd gotten into
an elevator, because there was always that possibility of getting stuck in
one for a couple of hours if the rolling blackout hit at just the wrong
moment.
The situation in California sucks. I have great sympathy for you, and I
hope that in the future, before you address a post to ME in particular,
you take into account that I'm probably as different from the folks you're
upset about as you are from the folks that are irritating me on the same
issue.
Julia
