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Shifting responsibility to the individual |
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Update: During the summer (and maybe longer?) this newsletter will be going to an every-other-week schedule.
Last week, much of the United States experienced a massive heatwave, complete with intensely high humidity. Record high temperatures were broken in places as far apart as Louisiana (the U.S. deep South), and Wisconsin (northern Midwest near the Great Lakes).
On top of that, the strained power grid led to extended blackouts in Philadelphia from Thursday through Monday, punctuated by intermittent returns to power. Temperatures have been hovering around 100°F (38°C) by day and only dropping to 80°F (27°C) overnight. No power, no fans, no relief.
The U.S. Department of Energy recommends setting residential air conditioners to 75°F (24°C) or higher to relieve strain on the power grid. Once again, we're shifting the burden of responsibility to the individual, even though individuals aren't the ones consuming the most.
Why is the grid failing? A perfect storm of factors:
- The infrastructure is old. It simply wasn't built to accommodate this level of use.
- We're using astonishing amounts of energy — 14 times as much as we used in 1950. And the largest residential consumption? Heating and cooling.
- Climate change is affecting the system. We're seeing more intense temperatures, both at the high and low end of the spectrum. We also have more intense storms that knock down power lines causing localized blackouts.
- Data centers are proliferating, and using more and more energy every year. That's energy that isn't available to households.
So how can we prepare for more frequent blackouts?
- Have an emergency preparedness kit. Stock it with battery-operated flashlights and radios, and non-perishable food that can be consumed without cooking. One friend stocks hers with canned fruit, which aids with hydration and isn't too heavy when you're too hot to move.
- Stock up on drinking water. Hydration is crucial in a heatwave.
- Keep phones charged in case of emergency.
- Don't open the refrigerator or freezer any more than necessary. Keeping the door closed will keep food safe for about four hours in the fridge and more than a day in the freezer.
- Rely on cooling centers run by the local government.
- Check on your neighbors, especially those who are older or have health issues.
We're all in this together. Hang in there.
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"For decades, we’ve heard about our climate or carbon footprint: the impact that our lives and choices have on the Earth’s climate. Why do we know about carbon footprints? While it was a term developed by scientists, it became famous after a BP marketing campaign that began about 20 years ago and is still used today. BP—yes, the corporation formerly known as British Petroleum—wanted to shift the emphasis to personal responsibility to draw attention away from the fact that BP is the fifth largest polluter in human history.
It was a remarkably effective campaign, and it shifted the conversation away from corporations, placing the weight entirely on the shoulders of the individual. It allowed us to get bogged down by shaming each other for using plastic straws or driving older, less efficient cars. It was a distraction, turning our attention from the real problem: them."
Alisa Bonsignore
Sustainable Content: How to Measure and Mitigate the Carbon Footprint of Digital Data
Now available
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Shameless and unsolicited cross-promotion of good stuff!
I got to know the work of Pascal Joly at the Green IO conference in New York. In this interview with Terra.do, he discusses sustainability in cloud computing. Pascal is working with organizations to build in sustainability as a founding systems principle. He's also offering classes through Terra.do.
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People are saying good things about Sustainable Content
True story: I went to a new eye doctor a few weeks ago. When I went back to pick up my glasses, the technician who helped me confessed that after I left, she googled my name. "It sounded so familiar. I couldn't figure out where I knew you from!" As it turns out, she'd seen my book on her mother's coffee table during a visit the weekend before. Small world!
If you can spread the word about the book, please do. This is a weird time for book promotion, especially in the sustainability space, so a word-of-mouth campaign goes a long way. Thanks!
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Alisa Bonsignore
Founder, Strategist, and Author
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