SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 30, 2007
Triple-Digit Heat Prompts Power Emergency
As Western States Broil, California May Set Energy Demand Record, Takes Steps To Avoid Blackouts
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(CBS)
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Photo Essay Summer Scorcher As temperatures soar around the world, everyone's looking for ways to keep cool.
Although temperatures across Tennessee have retreated from triple digits, the high temperature in Nashville, about 30 miles southwest of Portland, was 97 degrees on Wednesday.
An excessive heat warning remains in effect in Cincinnati, where temperatures on Wednesday hit 100 degrees, the city's third record high this month. In a first, the Cincinnati Public Schools canceled classes on account of the heat, and schools will stay closed on Thursday.
In Arizona, Phoenix reached a milestone on Wednesday: 29 days of temperatures 110 degrees or higher in a single year. The previous record of 28 days was set in 1970 and matched in 2002, according to the National Weather Service.
The temperature hit 113 on Wednesday afternoon, matching the record high for Aug. 29 set in 1948 and 1981, Jamison said.
A heat advisory has been posted, with the weather service forecasting a high of 110 for Thursday, but cooler temperatures (105) expected later this week.
The weather service says urbanization and global climate change could be contributing factors to the heat.
CBS Affiliate KPHO meteorologist Steve Garry said it could be worse: "What's interesting about this is we set the 110-degree milestone without breaking any of the four hottest days on record in Phoenix," ranging from 118 on July 22, 1995, to 122, set on June 26, 1990.
The hottest day of 2007 was July 4, when the mercury hit 116.
Still, the string of broiling days was tough to deal with - even for lifelong Phoenix residents like Martin Milner, a construction worker who took a break under a rare shade tree.
"People say you'll get used to it, but you never get used to it," said Milner, who wore a bandanna under his black hard hat to stop the sweat from running down his face. "Every year it gets harder and harder and harder. This year it's just skyrocketed."
In California, the state Office of Emergency Services opened cooling centers at fairgrounds in eight Central Valley and Southern California counties. The state Department of Public Health also issued heat alerts to nursing care facilities.
"We want to make sure everything is being done to protect the most vulnerable," said Eric Lamoureux, spokesman for the emergency services department.
Reducing air conditioning use is one way to conserve energy, but the Independent System Operator says people whose health could be compromised should not put themselves at risk.
Among the tips the agency suggests:
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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- I grew up in small towns back east. Can you car pool. I am aware people who don''t have access to mass transit, have drive places and walk. When I lived in small towns,I was a pupil and rode the school bus. Walked to the store. You do have you have to.
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Almost 10% of the entire US electrical energy generated is wasted during transmission in the current power grid. I think the power companies should really accelerate the adoption of American Superconductor''s proven technology to reduce energy loss in transmission.
Another good idea I heard is to encourage more people to use electrical vehicle (e.g. Phoenix Motorcar http://www.phoenixmotorcars.com). These electrical vehicles, when plugged in, can also act as many large batteries for the national grid to cover peak usage like the case in this heat wave.- Reply to this comment
- "What about those of us that live 30 miles from town?
Remember the horse & buggy. By the year 2100 one would hope that electric cars will be the mode of transport. Back in the 1960''s there were still electric trolley cars in some large cities. GM and the city powers replaced the electric trolley with smoke belching diesel buses. - Reply to this comment
- Have you heard the latest idea?
When Power demands are greatest and brown-outs may occur, The power companys want to be able to temporarily bump up the Kilowatt Price to encourage power saving behavior.
McDonalds could take lessons: "We''re short on fries, double the price on what%u2019s left"
Next thing you know we''ll have every company in America jerking us around like the Oil Companies! - Reply to this comment
- hawksprings, hawksprings, hawksprings
Now WHY would anyone have to heat their pool if the temperatures are that high?
Al Gore doesn''t strike me as being an idiot. - Reply to this comment
- go au naturel, turn off all air-conditioning.
its that simple. - Reply to this comment
- Yes but, it''s a"Dry Heat"
- Reply to this comment
- Maybe we should make Algore turn off the heater on his outdoor pool. That would help some, wouldn''''t it?" Posted by hawksprings at 01:10 PM : Aug 30, 2007
Absolutely, because it is the size of Al Gore''s electric bill that makes global warming a falsehood.
Why did Bush zero the budget of US geothermal technology, when we were ramping it up to where it could produce up to 30% of electrical needs in this country. Zero''d the budget. Flat-lined it. Killed it. Why is that?
And of course, we all know this rich oil-barren trust fund baby has solar power on his own oh-so-modest Crawford, TX ranch. He is about the only one that can afford solar since it costs $20,000 to rig a house. Why is it so expensive to go solar? Why is that?
And why is it that Al Gore''s electric bill was published but not Bush''s? Why is that? - Reply to this comment
- Airmanc5 said: "as long as you have politicians like Ted Kennedy, Mitt Romney, and Robert Kennedy Jr. trying to stop installation of windturbines, on Cape Cod, "the not in my back yard syndrome" you will never accomplish any thing. AS far as John Edward..."
It''s fun to point out hypocrasies of the powerful. It''s not useful because individual contributions don''t matter, only bulk contributions. The fact is, efforts to significantly combat global warming require regulations that increase average mpg in cars, efficiency in buildings, and renewables in energy generation. It''s pretty clear which politicians have opposed these regulations, and which have supported them. So, yes, there are people we can blame for global warming, but they aren''t the people you mentioned. - Reply to this comment
- as long as you have politicians like Ted Kennedy, Mitt Romney, and Robert Kennedy Jr. trying to stop installation of windturbines, on Cape Cod, "the not in my back yard syndrome" you will never accomplish any thing. AS far as John Edward, I believe he was in Florida the other day saying our first sacrifice should be giving up driving SUV''s. Then he was whisk away to the airport in a limo and boarded a private jet. Guess he is to stupid to realize people have cameras nowadays . The is not a Republician nor a Democrat, that will pay anything but lip service to this problem, because there is to much money going into their pockets, from both sides of the enviromental coin.
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- Posted by l8c6 at 01:36 PM : Aug 30, 2007
Sorry I don''t live with my head up my ***, but I am not blaming uncontrolled things on people that I disagree with politically. - Reply to this comment
- Heres another one, try not running so many cars and trucks, how about a new invention called public transportation. The less emissions that are but out the better for the environment.
Posted by rfcnj68 at 12:40 PM : Aug 30, 2007
What about those of us that live 30 miles from town? Even in town there isn''t any public transportation. It''s called small towns. Public transportation isn''t available to everyone. Someone else said tax the gas higher. That won''t help us out here where we already live with smaller wages due to smaller populations. I agree though, in the larger cities that more people need to take public transportation. - Reply to this comment
- Stop trying to find a conspiracy around every corner. Live Life, have a good time, pray daily and keep your families safe.
Posted by retmilspouse
So true, and you may have added, stick your head as far up your a*ss as possible. - Reply to this comment
- Yes we are all going to he11 in a handbasket today! The sky is falling, the sky is falling, etc etc etc.
Get real people and take personal responsibility for your self and your actions. The world is not coming to an end, all the weird weather is not GWB''s fault, no one is making billions off of other peoples misery (ie Haliburton). Stop trying to find a conspiracy around every corner. Live Life, have a good time, pray daily and keep your families safe. - Reply to this comment
- Now is the time for right wing global privatizing fascists to blame global warming. Al Gore is your friend privatizing fascists of the nations energy supply! I mean there has to be a scapegoat for the swine on this one otherwise attention could be drawn to the fact that by the time CEOs, CFOs and shareholders take 3/4 of the pie for their compensation there isn''t much room for improving, maintaining and expanding the infrastructure.
- Reply to this comment
Maybe we should make Algore turn off the heater on his outdoor pool. That would help some, wouldn''t it?
...- Reply to this comment
- "Say hello to global warming. We better start doing something about it. First step, end the war. Second step, invest in infrastructure. John Edwards is the answer."
Posted by chicagopoet at 12:36 PM : Aug 30, 2007
So right. The U.S. Government should be collecting a $1.00 tax on motor fuels and using the money to build a nationwide electrical powered mass transit system. World Oil production will peak in 2010 and by 2050 no one will be able to buy motor fuels made from oil. The current US economy cannot survive with out this system. And please don''t let Halliburton anywhere near the project. - Reply to this comment
- The problems of the World according to the Socialists (Libs, Progressives) is George Bush and Global Warming.
Reality, most problems are caused by the social engineering perpetrated by the Socialists and their uninformed followers. Global warming may be happening but it is also happening on every inner planet in this solar system and it happens in cycles as it has for billions of years, you can''t dispute the data that NASA has compiled for decades. - Reply to this comment
- Heres another one, try not running so many cars and trucks, how about a new invention called public transportation. The less emissions that are but out the better for the environment.
- Reply to this comment
- Say hello to global warming. We better start doing something about it. First step, end the war. Second step, invest in infrastructure. John Edwards is the answer.
- Reply to this comment
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