In the height of hurricane season, it seems proper to feel a bit humbled by natural forces. Forces that in spite of our best technologies we are unable to control or even marginally predict. While the damage in comparison to Katrina was minimal, the storm still traveled across ten states and killed over 150 people in the United States and in the Caribbean.
This is all very unfortunate, but was it all bad? Students of all ages were freed from the bounds of school to marvel at amazing weather patterns and to *gasp* play without videogames, movies, and IPods. Maybe they played in puddles or in the breeze. Later, perhaps due to the dark and exhaustion of real outdoor play, they actually went to bed on time! My brother-in-law at Texas A&M and my brother at Westlake High School both experienced cancellations. At Westlake High School, students were released to make room for evacuees from Galveston and Houston who stayed for days in their gymnasiums and auditoriums. What better way to appreciate one’s own home and family then through community service? On a more personal level, I got three days off of work. I got to have purely candle-lit dinners with my husband, and I opened my windows!
And finally, when it comes to pure energy, think of how much money and coal the American people saved by having their power off! In Kentucky, where I live, 300 thousand homes were without electricity and an estimated 2.6 million homes nation wide! Let’s do some math! Say each of these homes was without power for two days (and that’s conservative) and uses the average amount of energy in a day (around 4800 kW/hr). Lets also say that electricity costs around $0.08 per kW/hr. Here we go:
2 days x 2.6 million homes x 4800 kW/hr x $0.08 per kW/hr =$1,996,800,000
That’s right! Ike saved the American people AT LEAST 2 billion dollars in energy savings! So though I certainly wouldn’t want a similar storm to impede anyone in this way again, let’s look at the positive side of things! We learned how to appreciate energy and maybe you’ll take your city blackout day more seriously!
I am very proud of the American people who rallied together to help each other, who made do without electricity, and who shared resources with those who were hit worst. I loved this post because it is positive & forward-thinking. Keep up the great work!