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They derailed a fucking train. In Boucherville. They laid tracks down in the middle of the street and drove it a kilometer. Deisel electric locomotives are just big generators. They rigged it to provide emergency power to keep people warm and alive.
https://steemit.com/history/@kiligirl/remembering-canada-s-worst-ice-storm-ever-part-5-postscript-what-happened-in-my-home-town
This story is inspiring. I was 8 years old during this storm and was only without power for less than 18 hours. But next door in Quebec, some northern towns went a week+ without power, in the worst of winter. And political action in a crisis did this.
This story is inspiring. I was 8 years old during this storm and was only without power for less than 18 hours. But next door in Quebec, some northern towns went a week+ without power, in the worst of winter. And political action in a crisis did this.
Political actors in Texas could do:
- use portable power generation capabilities of ntl guard to run warming centers, provide food
- use nuclear submarines
ground power connections to provide power to coastal areas
- repurpose graders and farm equipment for road clearing
- use portable power generation capabilities of ntl guard to run warming centers, provide food
- use nuclear submarines
ground power connections to provide power to coastal areas
- repurpose graders and farm equipment for road clearing
Things they are doing instead
- shitposting
- going on the news to cry about the green new deal (???)
- going on vacation
- shitposting
- going on the news to cry about the green new deal (???)
- going on vacation
I want to be 100% clear here. I don't tell this story to shame Texans for not being ingenious or prepared. Canadians died in 98 too. We could have done more.
I'm recalling this story to show the solutions that the state CAN provide to crises, when they want to.
I'm recalling this story to show the solutions that the state CAN provide to crises, when they want to.
The key is, when they WANT to. Plenty of First Nations communities in Canada have been boiling their water for years, and it doesn't seem like the federal government here wants to fix it. Trudeau has no problem with the State building other pipelines - when they carry oil.
Anyways, if I said on here what I would like to see happen to Cruz, I probably wouldn't have a Twitter account for much longer.
It's depressing how we have resigned ourselves to the idea that our governments can't or shouldn't DO ANYTHING.
It's depressing how we have resigned ourselves to the idea that our governments can't or shouldn't DO ANYTHING.
What happens when your Government is held accountable to actually DO something. Things in Texas don't need to be this way. Katrina didn't need to happen the way that it did. Half a million didn't need to die of Covid.
When the power lines were back up. They just drove the loco back up the street and re-railed it. Drove it away. Incredible. How many hospitalized people on dialysis, or requiring assisted breathing, were saved because they still had power that week? How many did this save.
In post-Soviet Russia, nuclear submarines were used TWICE to provide shore power for Siberian
towns. American SSBNs also have ship-to-shore connections. It wouldnt be simple, but what the fuck is the point of having a trillion dollar Navy if it cant do THIS shit once in a while.
towns. American SSBNs also have ship-to-shore connections. It wouldnt be simple, but what the fuck is the point of having a trillion dollar Navy if it cant do THIS shit once in a while.
Want to be mad forever? Remember how quickly Blackwater and the National Guard were put to work to build open air prisons for "looters" during Katrina. But for 5 days at memorial hospital, people took shifts hand-ventillating patients 24/7, wondering where the helicopters were.
How quick, competent and efficient the American military and beauracracy can be during a crisis!... When they want to lock up minorities.
Ok im Logging Off for a bit before I lose my mind. The Cruz Defender Discourse is unreal. Just... remember the Cool Train. Better things are possible!
Also, in the early 00s, if I recall correctly there was serious discussion about using an American nuke sub to power a hospital in Guam after a tropical storm, but diesel gensets were flown in instead. Too bad Texas is landlocked. Oh, wait,
ok ok I'm taking a break.
ok ok I'm taking a break.
A correction: CN gave even fewer shits about the road than I thought. Get the lights on. Fuck the road. Yes. https://twitter.com/robotmlg/status/1362445838077865984?s=19
Things are going to get worse. This thread... https://twitter.com/ConorKenny/status/1362274022709420033?s=19
Fun facts
