“It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

Where we shed light in a gathering darkness

Where are we?

To review, as your EcoDharma Doula, for the next five months, I will offer you a monthly contemplation on what is commonly called ‘Getting to Zero.’ Science tells us we have 25 years to reduce our emissions to Zero. We are looking at a carbon reduction diet, which begins by looking at the big picture. We wish to turn the right side to Zero by 2050 or:

(Lighting + Heating + Cooling + cooking + driving + refrigeration + embodied energy + heating water + utilities + gardening + vampire energy) – (Clean Energy we Produce or Offset) = (Everything we Use)

Each mid-month, I try to tackle ‘low-hanging fruit’: those simple things that affordably may have a significant impact. We will review our options this mid-month when the grid fails, and the lights go out. This past April, due to high winds, our local utility, fearing litigation from wildfires, intentionally shut power down to 50,000 households for four to five days. I sense this will be happening increasingly as we wade into the consequential deep end of climate instability.

Dark Sky Sensibility

“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.” — Og Mandino

The first observation is that the lights going out are good if you appreciate seeing the Milky Way. Light pollution is the human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally. Light pollution disrupts wildlife, impacts human health, wastes money and energy, contributes to climate change, and blocks our view of the universe. Regardless of emergency preparedness, I would like you to pay close attention to protecting our Dark Sky.

To minimize light pollution, you can:

Use outdoor lighting only when and where it is needed.
Make sure outdoor lights are properly shielded and directing light down instead of up into the sky.
Close window blinds, shades, and curtains at night to keep light inside.
Turn off the lights when they’re not needed.
Install time and motion sensors to turn lights off completely when they’re not needed.

Disaster Planning

“However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light.” — Stanley Kubrick

Disasters can strike anytime, anywhere, and at varying degrees throughout the year. Once the domain of nature, utilities liberties now mean outages are human-caused. Preparedness requires constant vigilance. It ensures that equipment is maintained and plans are regularly reviewed and tested. Preparedness is also about communication and building relationships with people around you before disaster strikes.

Take a moment, close your eyes, and begin your day in your head. Mentally walk through your morning routine — brushing your teeth, taking a shower, grabbing a quick breakfast, maybe even making a coffee to take with you. Now imagine starting that day again, but this time the electricity and running water is out. How do you prepare for your day? No matter where you live, natural or human-made disasters can interrupt your daily life, so it is important to be ready.

The goal of preparedness is to lessen the impacts of disasters on vulnerable populations. Our challenge is to prepare and save the maximum number of lives, property, and resources during a disaster. That is the power of adequate preparedness.

Take an inventory of the items you need that rely on electricity. Plan for batteries and other alternative power sources, such as a portable charger or power bank, to meet your needs when the power goes out. Have flashlights for every household member. Determine whether your home phone will work in a power outage and how long the battery backup will last.

Know Your Medical Needs

Talk to your medical provider about a power outage plan for medical devices powered by electricity and refrigerated medicines. Find out how long medication can be stored at higher temperatures and get specific guidance for any medications that are critical for life.

Using Appliances During Power Outages

Install carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup in central locations on every level of your home to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Generators, camp stoves, and charcoal grills should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows. Never use a gas stovetop or oven to heat your home. Turn off or disconnect appliances, equipment, or electronics. Power may return with momentary surges or spikes that can cause damage.

Food Storage

Have enough nonperishable food and water. Keep freezers and refrigerators closed. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours, and a full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours. Use coolers with ice if necessary. Monitor temperatures with a thermometer. Throw out food if the temperature is 40 degrees or higher.

The lights went out, now what?

“Why blame the dark for being dark? It is far more helpful to ask why the light isn’t as bright as it could be. ” — Rob Bell

It used to be that we could ask, ” If the lights go out, what do we do?” These days, with certainty, it is a question of “When the lights go out, what do we do?” So, it is an exercise in anticipation.

Keep freezers and refrigerators closed.
Use a generator, but ONLY outdoors and away from windows.
Do not use a gas stove or oven to heat your home.
Disconnect appliances and electronics to avoid damage from electrical surges.
Have alternate plans for refrigerating medicines or using power-dependent medical devices.
Check with local officials about heating and cooling locations open near you.

When the power went out here in April, stores were closed for 4 to 5 days, and when they opened, the perishable food shelves were bare until restocking days later. That is all the ‘perishable food’ items. It was no better for most blacked-out homes, as the food in the refrigerators and freezers was spoilt.

Solar Generators

It used to be that the only backup power supply was diesel or gas generators. Remember Y2K and the market for portable generators. I think I have mentioned that in a heat wave, the roads become unusable when the asphalt liquifies, so diesel or gas generators run out of fuel and cannot be refilled. The additional problem with portable generators is that you can only power one or two circuits: generally, your frig and light or microwave.

There is a new kid on the block, a rechargeable solar-powered generator, refillable as long as the sun shines. These, depending on the capacity, are also very affordably priced. And like their gas-fired ancestors, they are limited in the number of circuits. An attractive feature is that some of these are expandable, so you can start small and build up more capacity over time. Finally, some of these are rechargeable by AC for those who have solar and wish to charge them from your roof.

Search for Solar Generators in your favorite search engine, and you will find many options for less than $1000 and some for less than $200. The idea is figure out what you want to power and for how long. I recommend a generator that can be charged from the wall or from panels because the more capacity you need, the longer it will take to charge using supplied panels.

Summary

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” — Plato

Utilities have begun intentionally turning off power for reasons they euphemistically call ‘safety shutdowns.’ They will be a part of our lives going forward. The strategy is to set yourself up for grid independence. Investing in a portable generator is a clear winner for the most straightforward and affordable plan. We will delve into this in the future Messages from the Edge installments. When we have conserved all we can and use the least energy, our thoughts will turn toward producing the energy we use.

And, remember:

“Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.” ~ Teddy Roosevelt

See you in October, if not sooner!

David