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Electricity Shortage Causes Blackouts Across Europe
FOXNews.com ^ | November 5, 2006 | Associated Press

Posted on 11/05/2006 11:08:21 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

BERLIN — A shortage of electricity in Europe's power grid caused blackouts across the continent, halting trains, trapping people in lifts and plunging millions of homes into darkness.

Swathes of Germany and France were badly hit by the cuts late Saturday. Austria, Belgium, Italy and Spain were also affected.

A spokesman for German power company RWE AG said a shortfall in supplies to the European power grid caused many substations to shutdown automatically.

It was not immediately clear what caused the shortage.

Areas of western Germany were without power for a half-hour, delaying scores of trains for up to two hours, Deutsche Bahn spokesman Achim Stauss said.

Officials said thousands of worried citizens overwhelmed emergency services with telephone calls.

In France, about 5 million people were left without electricity, including many in the capital, Paris. In all, about 15 French regions were affected, firefighters said.

France Info radio quoted French power utility Electricite de France as saying that about 5 million people were still without power early Sunday, and that it was not sure when it would be able to bring consumers back online.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; Germany; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: austria; belgium; blackouts; electricity; energy; europe; france; germany; italy; spain
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Ha ha! The idiots aren't putting enough smoke in their wires.

What loosers!


21 posted on 11/05/2006 11:59:16 AM PST by mrsmith
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To: Mamzelle

No. Well, only when there isn't an inversion, but the inversion is when it is cold. So Catch-22 on us.


22 posted on 11/05/2006 11:59:26 AM PST by RightWhale (RTRA)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks; Lazamataz

NB4RYMB


23 posted on 11/05/2006 12:00:09 PM PST by ARealMothersSonForever (We shall never forget the atrocities of September 11, 2001.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Europe, do not worry. As soon as Iran gets her Nuclear Power Plants running, I'm sure they will be glad to send all that electricity over to Europe. (sarc)
24 posted on 11/05/2006 12:00:55 PM PST by fish hawk
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To: mrsmith
The idiots aren't putting enough smoke in their wires.

Old electronic theory: there is smoke and noise in all electrical circuits. If you cause the smoke and noise to escape, the circuit no longer functions.

25 posted on 11/05/2006 12:02:24 PM PST by ARealMothersSonForever (We shall never forget the atrocities of September 11, 2001.)
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To: Chena

The oil-drip requires constant attention or it will get away from you. Very dangerous even when everybody is paying attention. Wood is best, although wood and coal combination is also excellent if more of a problem. Nobody on my street has a wood stove except me, but they are all rental units. Wherever Alaska is, it isn't on this street anymore.


26 posted on 11/05/2006 12:02:47 PM PST by RightWhale (RTRA)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Panic over loss of power for 30 minutes? Around here, people that need electricity (hospital, ill homebound etc have back up generators). Wonder what they would do if they were without power for 2 weeks?


27 posted on 11/05/2006 12:04:22 PM PST by CindyDawg
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

They are all either Green Party or Democrats. There is no warmth to them at all. Just cold sneers.


28 posted on 11/05/2006 12:04:52 PM PST by RightWhale (RTRA)
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To: gorush

I think you have to have an "inage" before you can have an "outage."


29 posted on 11/05/2006 12:06:41 PM PST by LadyNavyVet
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To: ARealMothersSonForever

The old theories are the best.

Hmmm, hasn't it occured to anyone that elections are powered by smoke and noise in the presswires?


30 posted on 11/05/2006 12:16:35 PM PST by mrsmith
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Socialism Kills
31 posted on 11/05/2006 12:18:02 PM PST by bmwcyle (Only stupid people would vote for McCain, Warner, Hagle, Snowe, Graham, or any RINO)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Wasn't so long ago that the whole northeastern part of the USA was down. Grid-based power systems can do that. Don't be so sure it won't happen again here.


32 posted on 11/05/2006 12:25:03 PM PST by MineralMan (Non-evangelical atheist)
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To: MineralMan

It did and people handled it fine.


33 posted on 11/05/2006 12:27:07 PM PST by CindyDawg
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To: RightWhale
The oil-drip requires constant attention or it will get away from you. Very dangerous even when everybody is paying attention. Wood is best, although wood and coal combination is also excellent if more of a problem. Nobody on my street has a wood stove except me, but they are all rental units. Wherever Alaska is, it isn't on this street anymore.

Knock on wood, we've been lucky. When we lived north of the circle, we used an oil-drip stove, and firewood when we could get it. Where we live now, we use an oil-drip in our workshop. I usually turn it off during the day and build a fire in the big barrel stove out there, and re-light it at night. The new drip stoves are supposed to be much safer. I sure wish I could remember the name...maybe it was Deville? For our house we heat with wood, but we also have an oil furnace and a Toyo. We try not to use the furnace much.

I suppose the rental units prefer not to have woodstoves due to the fire danger. Alaska is still here where we live, but I know what you mean. Oh, we had -10 last night but it's 5 above now and a few flurries.

34 posted on 11/05/2006 1:22:16 PM PST by Chena ("I'm not young enough to know everything." (Oscar Wilde))
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To: MineralMan
We've lost almost 3000 in Iraq in a Country half way across the world during a war.
France lost 15,000 due to a heat wave in the city of Paris.
That EU thing seems to be working pretty good.
And these are the Allies that Kerry et al wants to "engage".
35 posted on 11/05/2006 1:22:47 PM PST by mikeybaby (long time lurker)
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To: ARealMothersSonForever

RYMB? Really? I thought this was Bush's fault!


36 posted on 11/05/2006 1:24:48 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce! Wooooooo-oooooooo!)
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To: fish hawk

Did you hear about the new Iranian Nuclear Power Plant? It can reach Tel Aviv in 35 minutes!


37 posted on 11/05/2006 1:25:34 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce! Wooooooo-oooooooo!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Perhaps we should invade Europe...the Iraqis are better off with electrcity with us in Iraq, why not help the PU EU?


38 posted on 11/05/2006 2:02:41 PM PST by Doctor Raoul (Difference between the CIA and the Free Clinic is that the Free Clinic knows how to stop a leak.)
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To: gorush
North Korea hasn't had an outage in years.

True. You can't run out of something you never had to begin with.


39 posted on 11/05/2006 2:33:30 PM PST by Cobra64 (Why is the War on Terror being managed by the DEFENSE Department?)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
...Europe's power grid caused blackouts across the continent, halting trains,...

Mussolini is not amused!

FMCDH(BITS)

40 posted on 11/05/2006 2:42:56 PM PST by nothingnew (I fear for my Republic due to marxist influence in our government. Open eyes/see)
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