Language is powerful. Any spin doctor in the recent presidential campaign will wholeheartedly agree, the right choice of words makes a huge difference and can even shift the leadership of a country.
Our Ash tree from last year’s storm provided plenty of heat during this year’s storm
Words matter. So instead of saying I have no power at my house, I prefer to think of it as taking a little break from electricity. Even without those electrons coming through ConEd’s overhead lines, we were able to do OK. We had enough wood to keep our fireplace and wood stove cooking along, we had running water and a good filter that makes it safe to drink, we had lots of thawing food and dried food as well that could be made into meals. We also had the ability to leave if necessary thanks to hubby’s expertise with the chainsaw.
Eight days after Frankenstorm Sandy, downed trees remained hanging on the overhead electric lines and much of my town was still in the dark. Most of those who did not find hotel rooms ran gas guzzling generators to keep lights on and their freezers running. Here at the Rubin Rodeo, we played like we were living on Little House on the Prairie. We gathered wood for the fireplace before the sun went down and heated up water for hot water bottles to put into our beds before retiring at night. While hubby and daughter got a little cranky from time to time with the cold and dark, I played with the concept that this was a worthwhile pop quiz of sorts.
Since these freak “100 year” storms seem to be hitting on a yearly basis now, I think its a good idea to learn what we can from each crisis and to move forward with more tricks up our sleeve so we can deal better with the next one that Mother Nature tosses our way.
Many folks in my town are outraged at the length of time that it has taken to “get their power back” from the electric utility, in this case ConEd. I prefer to think that I never lost my power to begin with. As cold and inconvenient as the past two weeks have been, I’m well aware that others in NJ and NY have lost everything, that kind of puts it all into perspective for me.
Climate change and fossil fuels: connect the dots.
Sandy and her snowy aftermath were yet another example of how climate has changed. I hope once this current crisis passes that we can have a meaningful conversation about climate, fossil fuels and our future. Hopefully when the lights go on, folks won’t go back to sleep.
There is much we can all do to become more self reliant, both foodwise and energywise. I will share my research in these fields in the weeks to come.
