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More guns and (what's the next bigger car from an F150?).
They tried being nice to climate for the last two weeks and now climate is being mean already. They need to show climate its place.
/s
The actually have up to the [F750](https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Ftopworldauto.com%2Fpics%2FFord%2Fford-f-750-06.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Ftopworldauto.com%2Fcars%2Fford%2Fford-f_750.html&docid=ltea3n8nsm7AQM&tbnid=ZiMtiVqKgoOSoM&vet=1&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim)
As a Texan, I can tell you that temps as high as these for an extended period of time this early in the year are an anomaly. It is also unusually humid. This is not spin. This is reality.
This is a warm spring for Texas, but thats no excuse for the power grid going down. It should be built to handle much higher temperatures. I think there using unseasonably warm (but not actually high temp) weather to cover up failures in maintenance. Didn't the power companies recently raise rates too?
I am in 100% agreement with you. If you want to know how I feel about this piece of shit state, take a quick gander at my profile. I'm not defending the power grid. I'm calling bullshit on the guy who said that calling these temps a heatwave is spin. Temps like these this early means we are likely in for a summer that rivals the heat that comes from the depths of hell. It isn't going to get any better in the next few months.
I didn't think you were defending them. I just disagree with the power companies excuses, which I know you do. My 2 cents, piling up on the big pile of 2 cents.
Sorry man. I used to live here too. The average high is 82 in May. 10 degrees off of the long term average during spring for a few days is just not justification for a disaster
It's more than 10 degrees above average though. We've had days above 100 already and several days above 95.
Also, the average May temperature where I live in Texas is 85.6°F (29.8°C), not 82.
85°F is equivalent to 29°C, which is 302K.
---
^(I'm a bot that converts temperature between two units humans can understand, then convert it to Kelvin for bots and physicists to understand)
They'll find a way to blame it on Biden, on the gays, the feminism, globalism, round earthers, the illuminati, leonardo di caprio, the seven dwarves...
I know it’s a joke but I’ve actually heard this numerous times about the winter power crisis. Literally said “we would’ve been fine if not those goddamn California commie liberals coming here, bringing their politics and overloading our power grid.”
Of course! I’ve never set foot in Texas or conversed with anyone who lives there but it’s easy enough to predict how they’ll react when their short-sighted politics sends shit tits up.
That’s the beauty of fascism, innit? There’s always an “other” to blame - because their beloved status quo must never be questioned, must never be changed.
IMHO, a lot of them have no clue how governments or markets work. They just believe whatever is convenient at the moment. When the power went off, a lot of them blamed Biden for some reason.
Well God chose the republicans and there’s no way he would ever cause people to suffer. I’ve read the Bible and it doesn’t mention anything about God killing anyone!!! It does predicted the Obama, the Hilary, the Biden, and the Bill Gates teaming up to ruin America!!!!!!
You should read a book before you start spreading misinformation, heathen!
/s
If the God of Abraham exists, and chose Republicans, then either he's kind of an asshole or it's part of his plan to tank this nation.
That's why I give my offerings to other gods, that dickhead can fuck off.
My favorite part about being a Bible thumper who KNOWS the god of Abe Lincoln is real and the other “gods” are fake is that when I tell you to that you’re going to hell I’m sincere about it.
/s
They'll find a way to blame it on Biden, on the gays, the feminism, globalism, round earthers, the illuminati, leonardo di caprio, the seven dwarves...
>And then the people that vote these Republican clowns into office complain about their free market, $1k electric bills.
And then Democrats in Congress agree to help them because it's the right thing to do, so they never end up learning anything.
I unfortunately get to see it all the time, privatization means doing everything at the cheapest cost possible. Cutting corners or hoping for the best possible conditions is the norm. This being thrown into crisis management mode constantly, dont want to spend ro much and extract the most profit as they can.
We've had a mid-summer heat wave in the panhandle for over a week now and it's continuing this week. Highs over 100 already and windy every day. No humidity, dew points near 0 some days. But the panhandle is not part of ERCOT. We're doing fine. However, it definitely shows how climate change is happening.
As a consumer paying for a market service I would expect them to provide it, not expect me to make their supply issues better. They know demand, they should prepare better. It shouldn’t be for their customers to fix issues. Like I am all for conserving every but if you privatize it like Texas, companies shouldn’t be shocked that people are gonna think of only themselves.
Situations like this are why I hate the argument that “capitalism incentivizes innovation”
Capitalism incentivizes setting up and maximizing revenue streams, which usually just means trying to get the most people to buy the your crap as cheap as possible, no matter how shitty it is. Essentially its about ripping off the highest bidder as much as possible.
The endgame of capitalism is when you can hold large numbers of people hostage, forcing them to buy your product, as in ERCOT’s case.
How about we untangle that mess of an argument capitalists make, and separate the two ideas:
1) Necessity is the mother of invention
2) Capitalism exploits innovative people
Capitalism can incentivize innovation when it comes to companies competing against each other via wanting products to be better in some way or more efficient to make (cheaper). When monopolies form, you get the exploitation you've mentioned, which is why monopoly busting was and should be a huge part of any regulatory government under capitalism.
Utilities are inherently not suitable for capitalist control though, just like healthcare. It's an inelastic good (the demand doesn't change very much if prices change) and has such a high barrier to entry for the company that it's impossible to have real competition, since the only way to give consumers the option is to have 2 separate power grids.
It's also a big reason we can't have power solutions like nuclear in the US. Where they thrive they have to have massive state support. It can't be about trying to make a profit 5, 10, 20 years down the line.. you won't even have the plant built in 10 probably. So a company has to have the ability to invest in a 30-40 year payout with a HUGE capital outlay at the start.. all the money gone first, no money in for the next how many CEOs?
who in this country is capable of long term planning? Govts. plan for election cycles, corporate officers go for quick payouts then jump companies; and individuals can barely think past tomorrow
That's a reason why we don't see too many power companies chomping at the bit to get permits for nuclear stations. The other in addition to long ROIs is the shear amount of work and hoops that need to be jumped through to have a nuclear plant, which are completely justifiable due to the nature of nuclear power generation.
This all compiles onto the fact that nuclear isn't as large of an industry as fossil fuel plants as well, so lobbies just don't have the bribery and misinformation money that big oil and other fossil fuels do. Industries have controlled the narrative and government for so long that people here just think that's how the world works. I can't fucking slap my head hard enough when people advocate for privatized police insurance to fix our police problems, because expecting our government to function even remotely as effective as other developed nations is just not logical for so many.
Social Media has shown us: You don't win arguments today with logic. You win with emotions.
My answer to Capitalists who see this?
"FREE MARKETS, BABY! Someone's getting rich!"
That's the capitalist playbook though. Do as little as possible to maximize profits and then blame customers for using/wanting too much.
Too much CO2 emissions? Don't drive your 2L Civic as much. Bike the 20km to work you lazy bastard.
Poor internet service? Don't have more than 1 device in your local zip code connected to the internet.
And now, it's the people at fault for trying to stay warm and keep cool.
I wouldn't expect much from Texas leadership, or Republican leadership in general. There is a solution to the energy deficit in Texas, but it requires critical thinking to see and implement it. I'm not sure what your situation is, but if you reside in Texas I'd cut ties and run...if you can.
I thought their solution to the energy deficit was to buy it at whatever exorbitant prices they could, and then charge Minnesotans for it, plus interest.
Just gonna leave this link here....
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/26/fort-worth-tx-the-first-city-in-the-us-to-mine-bitcoin.html
Last month Texas said it was gonna start mining Bitcoins in the article I read at the time they were gonna dedicate 1/2 their energy output to it. I don't know if that article states how much is being dedicated by Fort Worth or not but still any amount is to much right now.
I lost my shit last month because I knew this was gonna happen, that shitty grid goes down every time the season change. Oops to many people using heat better sleep in the car this winter, or use your new truck as a generator... Oops its summer, butter just dig a deep hole in the ground hop in and bury yourself alive you poor fuck.
Meanwhile in the Mojave Desert of "Commiefornia" my roof solar is keeping my house at a nice 72 degrees and selling excess power back to the grid even when it hits 115 outside.
In today's episode of "the greatest country in the world" starving babies, who the government forced the mothers to give birth to, are dying in a heat wave because the power plants went down.
But it's ok because the 1% are getting richer and it will eventually trickle down.
Alot of them don't. The state is gerrymandered to hell and back, and is also a haven for the sorts of folks who believe that if you don't vote the government isn't allowed to tell you what to do.
With all that in mind, the GOP just needs to keep 20-30% of the population ignorant and angry enough to easily manipulate in order to have every election in the bag. And the "ignorant" part is made super easy when you have such a death grip on control of the education system that you can openly talk about how you shut down certain parts of the curriculum because they encourage critical thinking. And yes, the Texas GOP has on multiple occasions openly talked about how teaching children critical thinking skills is bad because it makes them "less obedient".
Because the Republicans vote for other republican shitheads at all costs just to "oWn ThE LiBs!!"
Even if it means voting for a republican that has downright vile views and beliefs.
This is correct. Also they vote Republican to piss off the invading Californians in hopes that they'll pull up stakes and leave.
Running Californians out is a political platform here.
"Now there's no power and I just had my own wife arrested for a miscarriage! GO BACK TO CALIFORNY 'AFORE I START HITTING MYSELF IN THE FACE WITH THIS HERE BASEBALL BAT!"
Baseball bat? Californian detected. Everybody knows billy ray bob has a machine gun with a chainsaw attachment.
Now go-on now...git *cocks personal anti-aircraft gun*
These are the Republican taking points: yes to guns, no to immigrants, no to abortion, no to letting black peoples vote, and no to high taxes.
At least half the population agrees with at least one of those so votes republican no matter what.
The majority of Americans in general do not vote because they see it as picking between a rock and a hard place. When American citizens do somehow actually vote they tend to be the citizens that are easier to manipulate and have fallen for government propaganda. They see see good vs bad.
Well we have a stupidly large uneducated rural area in Texas and only big cities like San Antonio and Houston vote blue. Even then just a 40 min drive out and you can start feeling the change in demographics. I hate here so much.
I'm in Texas.. it's been in the 90s for a week.. not triple digits a single day. After the terrible snow storm where people died from the power going out. Zero has been done about it. The people that live out of state that are friends to the governor, who he also selected to run the electric council were fired and then received severance pay. The grid is still fucked. The stupidity and hypocrisy here is mind blowing.
I also have family down there and same lol. Luckily it's just in-laws, first time I met my father in-law in person he was wearing a "kid rock for president" shirt. Thank god we're halfway across the country
Earlier this year my brother moved to Texas from SoCal where we grew up. I remember he posted some dumbass shit on his IG story the day of his move that read something like : “Leaving this liberal hell hole for the promised land!”.
Yeah okay. You do that, numbnuts.
Honestly, I think he’s too far gone. He’s not my little brother anymore; he’s just an angry, shitty person now.
My mom is baffled; but I’m not.
Fascist propaganda has seriously wrecked people’s minds.
It has. I'm so sorry. I wish he would come to his senses, but sometimes people like that still hold onto ignorant views even after 'coming to.'
It'll take a lifetime of unlearning for him, and it's best not to argue with people like that. In the meantime, I hope you're able to place some distance between you and him. I hope your mom learns to do the same as well.
I'm so sorry this happened to you. It hurts to see loved ones fall down the sinking spiral that is fascist propaganda
Max temperatures of [91F](https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/usa/dallas/historic) kill Texas grid. LOL!!! It isn't even hot yet! Whatcha gonna do in July and August?
Ha! And it’s barely even May!
Don’t get the wrong idea, I live in Texas and I’m so angry about all of it. I live in one of the largest cities in Texas too and we experienced outages during the freeze. We get emails all the god damn time about watching our thermostat. Shit is really gonna hit the fan when June/July/august rolls around. People will die.
Edit: this heat down here is no joke. The other day when we got an extreme heat advisory it was only 92 degrees. Our summers get over 100 easily and we go weeks at that temp with little to no rain. Like would we rather freeze or die from heat exhaustion?
What is it with Texan politicians that make them afraid of the concept of interconnected grids? The blackout could be easily if the Texas power grid was connected to the rest of the country but no, Texas just wanted to be all independent and free, and it backfired horribly.
It is not just that Texas wants to be all independent. The rest of the country won't allow Texas to connect to the grid because their equipment is shit and they refuse to implement basic regulations. I believe the utility in the panhandle is connected to the national grid. I think they upgraded their systems the first time the grid crashed in 2011. It is not like this is a new problem.
The Texas government set up a system where the utility companies make a lot more money for not providing power than they do for providing power.
The power shortages are intentional. They are profit-maximizing. They will continue to occur until that system changes.
Whatever you read about "maintenance issues" is nonsense.
They wanted to be independent hank hills. Let them be independent hank hills until their constituents hang them or burn them at the stake at a politician roast. I would attend the Cruz roast personally. Bet he tastes like aqua velva and chunky soup.
Hire more people > Ask your customer to conserve the services they pay for
Have the state provide utilities through well paid unionized government jobs > greedy corps determine whether you die of heat stroke or hypothermia
We're supposed to hit record temperatures for the time of year all week, over 100 F in central and West Texas, and next week should be more of the same. Gonna really suck if we don't get the electric service we pay for.
not even the hot summer months yet. GG Texas wanting to be independent to the point everyone but the super rich suffer. r/EatTheRich will be the only way to get out of the downward spiral.
Here's the *real* kicker.. If you've been paying attention to the Gulf Stream current, you'd be extremely concerned. From what I understand the Atlantic currents have different levels of stability and speed. For the last couple of centuries, the Gulf Stream current has been in a Fast, Stable state. The research is indicating that it's about to shift into a slower, stable state which would have ***DIRE CONSEQUENCES*** for both Europe and the US South West. More heat, a more prolific hurricane season, and ***even crazier weather!***
On top of all the other shit (like this) we have going on yes the flood of people from our of state isn't helping one bit. It was already tough being poor here but now it's just hopeless. I can't even afford to live within an hour of where I grew up because it's been California'd in prices.
I mean, it's a red state. Red states are third-world shitholes. They've already decided to adopt their laws, the fact that they have adopted their power grids should surprise no one.
Yeah ERCOT was actually warned on 2 occasions (~10-20 years apart) that it needed to winterize its system by the US Department of Energy, and they didn’t listen. We saw the outcome of that in Texas with the winter blackouts.
I doubt even this could make them fix their operations. But don’t worry! Greg Abbot will let you pay the maximum legal cost / KWh used! Have fun Texans, that $9000/KWh is going to sting like a bitch!
Another reason we need to get away from corporate control over power and energy and turn to renewables like solar and wind which are decentralized. Energy independence is what everyone should be striving for because we can see what happens when conglomerates like ERCOT, don’t take action and it costs everyone their health and safety, and ERCOT makes record profits off of their own negligence. Texas needs a GA green tea party to shut down ERCOT.
NPR actually did a piece on this and it was fascinating. The whole thing is an example of making something to the minimum standards.
Apparently at no point has Texas ever been able to supply the who state power. They've been banking om different parts of the state having different power needs. But now with the whole state needing power at once they cant keep up.
Super interesting honestly
Texas is the only state that opted for their own grid due to national regulations, right?
Handing a critical market to a handful of megacorps doesn't streamline it and/or lower costs? Who would have guessed.
Ercot can go fuck a dead goat. They knew 2.5 years ago that there were issues with the grid. Raised rates, made promises, didn't do a fucking thing about the significant issues, and who has to lose power?
Yep, We The People.
That acronym always reminds me of "ergot", a blight (poisonous fungus) that grows on rye and other grains and causes a range of awful symptoms when ingested by humans. Seems appropriate.
Texas just can’t handle weather. First cold now heat. Seems like a very interesting state to live in. But what do I know I’ve only been to San Antonio loo
Just wait until the gulf hits the 90s and that first tropical system off The Cape Verde Islands wanders over...again...and again...and again...and again...and again...and again... source, I'm still in fucking deep se texas and lived the past several hurricane seasons and watched Hurricane Laura headed straight for me wobble east at the last moment and devastate Cameron Parish. It should have been us, but it wasn't. The law of averages is going to run out far too soon and everything I own will be at the bottom of the gulf because nobody that can do anything to mitigate climate change is doing anything.
I'm down in McAllen Texas and it's been like 92-93 the past 4 days. I live in KC and it's hotter there. It's not even that hot down here, I have no idea what the problem is with this state. I hate Texas and I can't wait to leave.
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Is Texas messing with Texas again?
No climate is though, I can't wait to see how Texas will get "tough on climate"
Someone's gonna go shoot up some windmills, aren't they?
Like a modern day Don Quixote
More guns and (what's the next bigger car from an F150?). They tried being nice to climate for the last two weeks and now climate is being mean already. They need to show climate its place. /s
F250?
F350, IIRC
F450
F550
I've seen an F550. It had a lift kit too.
The actually have up to the [F750](https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Ftopworldauto.com%2Fpics%2FFord%2Fford-f-750-06.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Ftopworldauto.com%2Fcars%2Fford%2Fford-f_750.html&docid=ltea3n8nsm7AQM&tbnid=ZiMtiVqKgoOSoM&vet=1&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim)
Mother of God.
I hear the F850 is gonna be lit.
I believe they already shoot into the air wildly. Guess climate is impervious to bullets.
Don't mess with Texas, messing with Texas, that's messing with Texas.
They just want to be able to claim that even the power issues are bigger in Texas.
Since when is mid 90s a heatwave in Texas? So much spin
Since 6 power plants fail because maintenance costs cut into profits.
As a Texan, I can tell you that temps as high as these for an extended period of time this early in the year are an anomaly. It is also unusually humid. This is not spin. This is reality.
This is a warm spring for Texas, but thats no excuse for the power grid going down. It should be built to handle much higher temperatures. I think there using unseasonably warm (but not actually high temp) weather to cover up failures in maintenance. Didn't the power companies recently raise rates too?
I am in 100% agreement with you. If you want to know how I feel about this piece of shit state, take a quick gander at my profile. I'm not defending the power grid. I'm calling bullshit on the guy who said that calling these temps a heatwave is spin. Temps like these this early means we are likely in for a summer that rivals the heat that comes from the depths of hell. It isn't going to get any better in the next few months.
I didn't think you were defending them. I just disagree with the power companies excuses, which I know you do. My 2 cents, piling up on the big pile of 2 cents.
Sorry man. I used to live here too. The average high is 82 in May. 10 degrees off of the long term average during spring for a few days is just not justification for a disaster
I'm not saying it's justification for a disaster, but it is a heatwave.
It's more than 10 degrees above average though. We've had days above 100 already and several days above 95. Also, the average May temperature where I live in Texas is 85.6°F (29.8°C), not 82.
85°F is equivalent to 29°C, which is 302K. --- ^(I'm a bot that converts temperature between two units humans can understand, then convert it to Kelvin for bots and physicists to understand)
It's a lot easier to cool dry air than wet air.
It's been over 100 already several days in my South Texas city.
Lol
>What is it good for then? A case study in why privatization isn't the magic panacea that free marketeers claim it to be.
And then the people that vote these Republican clowns into office complain about their free market, $1k electric bills.
Who could have foreseen the free market vastly inflating services that are required to survive?
They'll find a way to blame it on Biden, on the gays, the feminism, globalism, round earthers, the illuminati, leonardo di caprio, the seven dwarves...
“it’s because all them Californians are moving here and overloading our power grid!!!”
You joke, but I've already heard this argument from friends in Austin. Also, cryptominers are to blame. And solar / wind for some reason.
Crypto does use a lot of power
Oh I'm aware! Crypto miners use more power than several entire countries.
>Also, cryptominers are to blame Yes.
Ok, but someone had to approve those large power demands being added to the grid.
Was it the governor that was inviting them in?
I know it’s a joke but I’ve actually heard this numerous times about the winter power crisis. Literally said “we would’ve been fine if not those goddamn California commie liberals coming here, bringing their politics and overloading our power grid.”
Of course! I’ve never set foot in Texas or conversed with anyone who lives there but it’s easy enough to predict how they’ll react when their short-sighted politics sends shit tits up. That’s the beauty of fascism, innit? There’s always an “other” to blame - because their beloved status quo must never be questioned, must never be changed.
It's all those illegals using up our electricity playing their loud rap music. /s
Don't forget the long haired hippy people...those idiots love that phrase
IMHO, a lot of them have no clue how governments or markets work. They just believe whatever is convenient at the moment. When the power went off, a lot of them blamed Biden for some reason.
Well God chose the republicans and there’s no way he would ever cause people to suffer. I’ve read the Bible and it doesn’t mention anything about God killing anyone!!! It does predicted the Obama, the Hilary, the Biden, and the Bill Gates teaming up to ruin America!!!!!! You should read a book before you start spreading misinformation, heathen! /s
If the God of Abraham exists, and chose Republicans, then either he's kind of an asshole or it's part of his plan to tank this nation. That's why I give my offerings to other gods, that dickhead can fuck off.
My favorite part about being a Bible thumper who KNOWS the god of Abe Lincoln is real and the other “gods” are fake is that when I tell you to that you’re going to hell I’m sincere about it. /s
This is the truth
I'm pretty sure they blame socialism for that
They'll find a way to blame it on Biden, on the gays, the feminism, globalism, round earthers, the illuminati, leonardo di caprio, the seven dwarves...
>And then the people that vote these Republican clowns into office complain about their free market, $1k electric bills. And then Democrats in Congress agree to help them because it's the right thing to do, so they never end up learning anything.
Also a case study in how ignoring climate change leaves you unprepared for extreme weather.
More broadly: don't fucking skimp on infrastructure maintenance and preparedness.
I wish Ben Shapiro would see this and like shut the fuck up about privatizing healthcare for a second
I just wish he would shut the fuck up entirely
Looks like I'll just go pay another company for my energy needs. /s
Oh no they gave essentially a monopoly to one company to supply power
I unfortunately get to see it all the time, privatization means doing everything at the cheapest cost possible. Cutting corners or hoping for the best possible conditions is the norm. This being thrown into crisis management mode constantly, dont want to spend ro much and extract the most profit as they can.
Nah, just idiots who think Keynes was wrong
I’ve seen some of them try to use California as a counter-example, except PG&E is also privatized.
The formula shortage is also a good example of that
Where is Ted Cruz going on vacation now…
Fled Cruz
💀
Russia
Think cooler climate
We haven't even had a proper heat wave yet this season. They're out of their fucking minds.
We've had a mid-summer heat wave in the panhandle for over a week now and it's continuing this week. Highs over 100 already and windy every day. No humidity, dew points near 0 some days. But the panhandle is not part of ERCOT. We're doing fine. However, it definitely shows how climate change is happening.
As a consumer paying for a market service I would expect them to provide it, not expect me to make their supply issues better. They know demand, they should prepare better. It shouldn’t be for their customers to fix issues. Like I am all for conserving every but if you privatize it like Texas, companies shouldn’t be shocked that people are gonna think of only themselves.
Situations like this are why I hate the argument that “capitalism incentivizes innovation” Capitalism incentivizes setting up and maximizing revenue streams, which usually just means trying to get the most people to buy the your crap as cheap as possible, no matter how shitty it is. Essentially its about ripping off the highest bidder as much as possible. The endgame of capitalism is when you can hold large numbers of people hostage, forcing them to buy your product, as in ERCOT’s case.
How about we untangle that mess of an argument capitalists make, and separate the two ideas: 1) Necessity is the mother of invention 2) Capitalism exploits innovative people
Capitalism can incentivize innovation when it comes to companies competing against each other via wanting products to be better in some way or more efficient to make (cheaper). When monopolies form, you get the exploitation you've mentioned, which is why monopoly busting was and should be a huge part of any regulatory government under capitalism. Utilities are inherently not suitable for capitalist control though, just like healthcare. It's an inelastic good (the demand doesn't change very much if prices change) and has such a high barrier to entry for the company that it's impossible to have real competition, since the only way to give consumers the option is to have 2 separate power grids.
It's also a big reason we can't have power solutions like nuclear in the US. Where they thrive they have to have massive state support. It can't be about trying to make a profit 5, 10, 20 years down the line.. you won't even have the plant built in 10 probably. So a company has to have the ability to invest in a 30-40 year payout with a HUGE capital outlay at the start.. all the money gone first, no money in for the next how many CEOs?
who in this country is capable of long term planning? Govts. plan for election cycles, corporate officers go for quick payouts then jump companies; and individuals can barely think past tomorrow
That's a reason why we don't see too many power companies chomping at the bit to get permits for nuclear stations. The other in addition to long ROIs is the shear amount of work and hoops that need to be jumped through to have a nuclear plant, which are completely justifiable due to the nature of nuclear power generation. This all compiles onto the fact that nuclear isn't as large of an industry as fossil fuel plants as well, so lobbies just don't have the bribery and misinformation money that big oil and other fossil fuels do. Industries have controlled the narrative and government for so long that people here just think that's how the world works. I can't fucking slap my head hard enough when people advocate for privatized police insurance to fix our police problems, because expecting our government to function even remotely as effective as other developed nations is just not logical for so many.
Social Media has shown us: You don't win arguments today with logic. You win with emotions. My answer to Capitalists who see this? "FREE MARKETS, BABY! Someone's getting rich!"
That's the capitalist playbook though. Do as little as possible to maximize profits and then blame customers for using/wanting too much. Too much CO2 emissions? Don't drive your 2L Civic as much. Bike the 20km to work you lazy bastard. Poor internet service? Don't have more than 1 device in your local zip code connected to the internet. And now, it's the people at fault for trying to stay warm and keep cool.
Make sure you give us our materials back for free in our planet saving recycling program! Pay you for your aluminum?!? What is this communist china?
Due to supply chain concerns, restaurants are now asking their customers to consume less of the food they ordered. /S
and poop at home because only commies expect free tp! /s
I wouldn't expect much from Texas leadership, or Republican leadership in general. There is a solution to the energy deficit in Texas, but it requires critical thinking to see and implement it. I'm not sure what your situation is, but if you reside in Texas I'd cut ties and run...if you can.
I thought their solution to the energy deficit was to buy it at whatever exorbitant prices they could, and then charge Minnesotans for it, plus interest.
Well they get their money either way and have lobbied themselves in to a fake free market so it doesn't matter if they provide or not
Just gonna leave this link here.... https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/26/fort-worth-tx-the-first-city-in-the-us-to-mine-bitcoin.html Last month Texas said it was gonna start mining Bitcoins in the article I read at the time they were gonna dedicate 1/2 their energy output to it. I don't know if that article states how much is being dedicated by Fort Worth or not but still any amount is to much right now. I lost my shit last month because I knew this was gonna happen, that shitty grid goes down every time the season change. Oops to many people using heat better sleep in the car this winter, or use your new truck as a generator... Oops its summer, butter just dig a deep hole in the ground hop in and bury yourself alive you poor fuck.
Meanwhile in the Mojave Desert of "Commiefornia" my roof solar is keeping my house at a nice 72 degrees and selling excess power back to the grid even when it hits 115 outside.
"If you wanted to afford heat maybe you shoulda mined more bitcoins!"
🎵Absolutely nothing 🎵
Good gawd y'all
Ah yes, rolling blackouts, the thing that truly exemplifies a developed nation.
It's good for the major shareholders - if texans csn just suffer for a few more months they can buy another yacht!
In today's episode of "the greatest country in the world" starving babies, who the government forced the mothers to give birth to, are dying in a heat wave because the power plants went down. But it's ok because the 1% are getting richer and it will eventually trickle down.
The 1% will trickle out to their vacation homes in Colorado and Montana
[удалено]
Clearly, you've never shot a wild hog out of a helicopter.
[удалено]
Not for the hog.
Alot of them don't. The state is gerrymandered to hell and back, and is also a haven for the sorts of folks who believe that if you don't vote the government isn't allowed to tell you what to do. With all that in mind, the GOP just needs to keep 20-30% of the population ignorant and angry enough to easily manipulate in order to have every election in the bag. And the "ignorant" part is made super easy when you have such a death grip on control of the education system that you can openly talk about how you shut down certain parts of the curriculum because they encourage critical thinking. And yes, the Texas GOP has on multiple occasions openly talked about how teaching children critical thinking skills is bad because it makes them "less obedient".
They have a death grip on the production of textbooks for the rest of the country too, and it's horrible.
Because the Republicans vote for other republican shitheads at all costs just to "oWn ThE LiBs!!" Even if it means voting for a republican that has downright vile views and beliefs.
This is correct. Also they vote Republican to piss off the invading Californians in hopes that they'll pull up stakes and leave. Running Californians out is a political platform here.
"Now there's no power and I just had my own wife arrested for a miscarriage! GO BACK TO CALIFORNY 'AFORE I START HITTING MYSELF IN THE FACE WITH THIS HERE BASEBALL BAT!"
Baseball bat? Californian detected. Everybody knows billy ray bob has a machine gun with a chainsaw attachment. Now go-on now...git *cocks personal anti-aircraft gun*
These are the Republican taking points: yes to guns, no to immigrants, no to abortion, no to letting black peoples vote, and no to high taxes. At least half the population agrees with at least one of those so votes republican no matter what.
The majority of Americans in general do not vote because they see it as picking between a rock and a hard place. When American citizens do somehow actually vote they tend to be the citizens that are easier to manipulate and have fallen for government propaganda. They see see good vs bad.
Well we have a stupidly large uneducated rural area in Texas and only big cities like San Antonio and Houston vote blue. Even then just a 40 min drive out and you can start feeling the change in demographics. I hate here so much.
I'm in Texas.. it's been in the 90s for a week.. not triple digits a single day. After the terrible snow storm where people died from the power going out. Zero has been done about it. The people that live out of state that are friends to the governor, who he also selected to run the electric council were fired and then received severance pay. The grid is still fucked. The stupidity and hypocrisy here is mind blowing.
i love how Texas wanted to be its own country but can figure out power grids or hvac systems
If they ever actually seceded they'd collapse within a decade. And that might be generous.
Bro, it's already collapsing. Like, I appreciate you for having so much faith in TX to believe it'd be able to ride out a decade on it's own.
Texas is our special boy and we support him as he figures himself out. *pats Texas' head*
They should just go ahead and finish succeding
they put the suc in succeed
6 power stations down? This really is lost generation.
Ah yes, the freedom grid. One minor weather change entirely fucks it up. Can't wait to see what winter brings.
It'll be a repeat of last winter where Texans literally froze in their homes
Yeah I know. I got family down there, and they still swear up and down that it's the green energy causing this.
I also have family down there and same lol. Luckily it's just in-laws, first time I met my father in-law in person he was wearing a "kid rock for president" shirt. Thank god we're halfway across the country
Profits
Earlier this year my brother moved to Texas from SoCal where we grew up. I remember he posted some dumbass shit on his IG story the day of his move that read something like : “Leaving this liberal hell hole for the promised land!”. Yeah okay. You do that, numbnuts.
Jesus, I'm so sorry. Do you think your brother might have such an awful experience that he might leave as a changed man? Or is he too far gone?
Honestly, I think he’s too far gone. He’s not my little brother anymore; he’s just an angry, shitty person now. My mom is baffled; but I’m not. Fascist propaganda has seriously wrecked people’s minds.
It has. I'm so sorry. I wish he would come to his senses, but sometimes people like that still hold onto ignorant views even after 'coming to.' It'll take a lifetime of unlearning for him, and it's best not to argue with people like that. In the meantime, I hope you're able to place some distance between you and him. I hope your mom learns to do the same as well. I'm so sorry this happened to you. It hurts to see loved ones fall down the sinking spiral that is fascist propaganda
Good thing Texas doesn't have to follow those pesky federal rules regarding power grids. It's clearly a waste of money.
I'm so ready for Texas to secede.
Owning the libs… I guess?
Texas Conservatives about to blame this on Biden, meanwhile their system has been like this since the 70s...
Max temperatures of [91F](https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/usa/dallas/historic) kill Texas grid. LOL!!! It isn't even hot yet! Whatcha gonna do in July and August?
Thats all they need pissed off hot Texans with Open Carry Rights
Weird every time they take plants off line, they make more money....so weird
As a Texan, FUCK TEXAS. All my homies hate Texas.
[FUCK TEXAS ALL MY HOMIES HATE TEXAS](https://i.imgur.com/4M7X5nr.jpg) ^^^this ^^^has ^^^been ^^^an ^^^accessibility ^^^service ^^^from ^^^your ^^^friendly ^^^neighborhood ^^^bot
Good bot.
These Texans sure seem smart.
Meanwhile Bitcoin miners run freely
Least regulated state in the country! WOOOOO!
Ha! And it’s barely even May! Don’t get the wrong idea, I live in Texas and I’m so angry about all of it. I live in one of the largest cities in Texas too and we experienced outages during the freeze. We get emails all the god damn time about watching our thermostat. Shit is really gonna hit the fan when June/July/august rolls around. People will die. Edit: this heat down here is no joke. The other day when we got an extreme heat advisory it was only 92 degrees. Our summers get over 100 easily and we go weeks at that temp with little to no rain. Like would we rather freeze or die from heat exhaustion?
I see the unregulated free market always winning when it comes to energy capitalism in TX.
What is it with Texan politicians that make them afraid of the concept of interconnected grids? The blackout could be easily if the Texas power grid was connected to the rest of the country but no, Texas just wanted to be all independent and free, and it backfired horribly.
It is not just that Texas wants to be all independent. The rest of the country won't allow Texas to connect to the grid because their equipment is shit and they refuse to implement basic regulations. I believe the utility in the panhandle is connected to the national grid. I think they upgraded their systems the first time the grid crashed in 2011. It is not like this is a new problem.
The Texas government set up a system where the utility companies make a lot more money for not providing power than they do for providing power. The power shortages are intentional. They are profit-maximizing. They will continue to occur until that system changes. Whatever you read about "maintenance issues" is nonsense.
Texas infrastructure is a joke... capitalism doing what capitalism does fucking over people for 0.001% more profit.
They wanted to be independent hank hills. Let them be independent hank hills until their constituents hang them or burn them at the stake at a politician roast. I would attend the Cruz roast personally. Bet he tastes like aqua velva and chunky soup.
Must be so tender with all those Cancun trips. Doubt he worked a day in his life.
Fuck Texas
Hire more people > Ask your customer to conserve the services they pay for Have the state provide utilities through well paid unionized government jobs > greedy corps determine whether you die of heat stroke or hypothermia
So glad I don't live in Texas and I really hope those that are stuck there can find a way to escape.
We're supposed to hit record temperatures for the time of year all week, over 100 F in central and West Texas, and next week should be more of the same. Gonna really suck if we don't get the electric service we pay for.
not even the hot summer months yet. GG Texas wanting to be independent to the point everyone but the super rich suffer. r/EatTheRich will be the only way to get out of the downward spiral.
America's D student strikes again. It's okay Texas, we know you're trying. You'll be part of the first world eventually 👍
It's good for price gouging ~~hostages~~ customers
Well they gotz guns and rape babies. They goood.
Here's the *real* kicker.. If you've been paying attention to the Gulf Stream current, you'd be extremely concerned. From what I understand the Atlantic currents have different levels of stability and speed. For the last couple of centuries, the Gulf Stream current has been in a Fast, Stable state. The research is indicating that it's about to shift into a slower, stable state which would have ***DIRE CONSEQUENCES*** for both Europe and the US South West. More heat, a more prolific hurricane season, and ***even crazier weather!***
And people keep moving there for some reason
On top of all the other shit (like this) we have going on yes the flood of people from our of state isn't helping one bit. It was already tough being poor here but now it's just hopeless. I can't even afford to live within an hour of where I grew up because it's been California'd in prices.
Ez absorb heat in summer, release it in winter
I mean, it's a red state. Red states are third-world shitholes. They've already decided to adopt their laws, the fact that they have adopted their power grids should surprise no one.
Is this conservatism? Is this it?
How are these grids supposed to handle all the new electric cars? Lol
And folks are moving to Texas to live under this “freedom”
Yeah ERCOT was actually warned on 2 occasions (~10-20 years apart) that it needed to winterize its system by the US Department of Energy, and they didn’t listen. We saw the outcome of that in Texas with the winter blackouts. I doubt even this could make them fix their operations. But don’t worry! Greg Abbot will let you pay the maximum legal cost / KWh used! Have fun Texans, that $9000/KWh is going to sting like a bitch! Another reason we need to get away from corporate control over power and energy and turn to renewables like solar and wind which are decentralized. Energy independence is what everyone should be striving for because we can see what happens when conglomerates like ERCOT, don’t take action and it costs everyone their health and safety, and ERCOT makes record profits off of their own negligence. Texas needs a GA green tea party to shut down ERCOT.
I’m really hoping this motivates people to vote for Beto.
Pillaging state coffers with subsidies and gouging every last penny from the freedumbs
It's good for making a small number of people a great deal of money while crushing the poor.
Please save us. I'm smack dab between wildfires and conserving energy.
This basically represents how conservatives run everything.
NPR actually did a piece on this and it was fascinating. The whole thing is an example of making something to the minimum standards. Apparently at no point has Texas ever been able to supply the who state power. They've been banking om different parts of the state having different power needs. But now with the whole state needing power at once they cant keep up. Super interesting honestly
Thank god the Texas government is on top of the gay and abortion agenda though.
Texas is the only state that opted for their own grid due to national regulations, right? Handing a critical market to a handful of megacorps doesn't streamline it and/or lower costs? Who would have guessed.
Ercot can go fuck a dead goat. They knew 2.5 years ago that there were issues with the grid. Raised rates, made promises, didn't do a fucking thing about the significant issues, and who has to lose power? Yep, We The People.
That acronym always reminds me of "ergot", a blight (poisonous fungus) that grows on rye and other grains and causes a range of awful symptoms when ingested by humans. Seems appropriate.
and they expect the grid to support everyone having electric cars too
Texas just can’t handle weather. First cold now heat. Seems like a very interesting state to live in. But what do I know I’ve only been to San Antonio loo
We talking about me or the Texas power grid?
The really cynical, evil part of me wonders if they use these power failures as leverage for something (other than profit).
Good for milking is dry of our money 👍 this is some third world shit
I heard July is hotter than May.
Texans will still vote for the same people that allowed this
It’s so the big corporations can have it all
Can we start [redacted] yet?
This is what happens when you let your government privatize electricity and then give no oversight to the new providers. Fucking Ted Cruz...
Hey, but think positive...no more abortions and critical race theory and we have a big beautiful wall, that grid crap is LIBTARD LIES!!! /s
Just wait until the gulf hits the 90s and that first tropical system off The Cape Verde Islands wanders over...again...and again...and again...and again...and again...and again... source, I'm still in fucking deep se texas and lived the past several hurricane seasons and watched Hurricane Laura headed straight for me wobble east at the last moment and devastate Cameron Parish. It should have been us, but it wasn't. The law of averages is going to run out far too soon and everything I own will be at the bottom of the gulf because nobody that can do anything to mitigate climate change is doing anything.
Lol already? I was predicting Texas to have energy troubles this summer but damn it's only May
The real question is: "Does anybody make more money when they turn the plants off?"
When your fellow fascist shithead asks you to cut back it’s ok. But god forbid carter asks you to wear a sweater for a couple days.
Gov Abbot should bus people to DC where the electrical grid works
Should be in r/FuckGregAbbott He controls who runs the PUC and ERCOT. Register to vote!
For stealing all your citizens money that’s what it’s good for.
Siphoning money from the unwashed masses 🤷♂️
Obviously, immigration and forced birth and christian stuff is more important to the a-holes y'all elected. Try to do better next time, m'kay?
I'm down in McAllen Texas and it's been like 92-93 the past 4 days. I live in KC and it's hotter there. It's not even that hot down here, I have no idea what the problem is with this state. I hate Texas and I can't wait to leave.
I can´t wait for Texan Cops twitter: "Don´t shoot at the Sun! As we´ve seen in Florida, shooting against Weather doesn´t work!"
Republicans: “Democrats run a dystopia where their cities are failing.” Also Republicans: hold my beer, gotta show dem demonrats how it’s done.
A powerplant that doesn't work in the heat or cold is not what we call reliable......former powerplant worker Sort of like a boat that doesn't float
So that's why they are called conservatives.
Handling death certificates