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 ...
Ha ha! The idiots aren't putting enough smoke in their wires.
What loosers!
No. Well, only when there isn't an inversion, but the inversion is when it is cold. So Catch-22 on us.
NB4RYMB
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.
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.
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?
They are all either Green Party or Democrats. There is no warmth to them at all. Just cold sneers.
I think you have to have an "inage" before you can have an "outage."
The old theories are the best.
Hmmm, hasn't it occured to anyone that elections are powered by smoke and noise in the presswires?
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.
It did and people handled it fine.
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.
RYMB? Really? I thought this was Bush's fault!
Did you hear about the new Iranian Nuclear Power Plant? It can reach Tel Aviv in 35 minutes!
Perhaps we should invade Europe...the Iraqis are better off with electrcity with us in Iraq, why not help the PU EU?
True. You can't run out of something you never had to begin with.
Mussolini is not amused!
FMCDH(BITS)
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