Posted on 01/21/2008 2:55:44 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Californians may soon have to deal with climate change on a different scale -- and this time the culprit isn't greenhouse gas.
The California Energy Commission is proposing a plan which allows the government to regulate household thermostats in the event of an "energy crisis." Under the proposed rules, all new thermostats will be fitted with technology that will allow the government to adjust the temperature of someone's home by plus or minus four degrees. Originally the plans called for mandatory compliance; however, amid public outcry, the plans have been slightly altered to allow an individual to turn off the remote access device.
But Mindy Spatt, the communications director for the Utility Reform Network, says there may be more cost-effective ways of regulating power during a supposed crisis. "At this point we are concerned that, ultimately, the consumer will end up paying for something that doesn't have benefits commensurate with its cost," she states.
However, Terry Jeffery, the editor-in-chief for CNSNews.com and regular guest on CNN's The Situation Room, disagrees with the proposal, calling it "ridiculous" and a government intrusion of privacy.
"Liberals are always talking about a right to privacy. It seems to me that if there is really, truly a right to privacy, the right to decide how you want to heat or cool your home would fall under it," says the journalist. "If someone wants to pay more money to make it warmer in the winter, [or] pay more money to make it cooler in the hot months of the summer, they ought to be able to do that."
The energy proposal will be decided by the California Energy Commission on January 30. Jeffery says it should be opposed at all cost. "The idea ... of being able to remotely control the temperature that someone's house is heated to is outrageous," he says.
At least one California legislator has described the proposal as "Orwellian." According to the San Francisco Chronicle, several of the state's utilities already operate similar voluntary programs in some areas.
Orwellian ping
I swear we are giving everything up in the name of a climatological scam, and of security.
Ping.
Austin, TX has had a similar program for years. The City has control to cut your power during peak times ... to forestall a blackout. The cycle of you electric for 3-4 minutes during peak times. They will even give you the wall thermostat free of charge.
Ping.
The legislator was probably McClintock.
very soon they will dictate how many breaths we can take a day... we are Carbon dioxide producers you know.
/industrial grade irony
A government big enough to provide everything, is also big enough to take everything.
Stupid journalist. That whole "right to privacy" thing only relates to abortion. Everything else is fair game.
Workout videos will soon be banned for encouraging pollution.
This is a ridiculous proposal, I read about it some weeks ago.
1) Gov't-controlled flushing toilets in your loo.
2) Electronic toilet-paper dispensers that allow only 1 square per sitting (or two, after depositing a quarter in the slot).
This is how they do it.
Note - they already call the global warming hoax a “crisis”. Once they get this law, it’s over.
Do you think there will be exemptions for the elderly? Leftists will never stop. They never have enough. They want complete control of all aspects of life.
Is there an exemption for “persons with compromised immune systems?”
Supposedly, the state legislature knocked this proposal down. I believe it’s dead. But, if you live in Sacramento County, you have to call in and see if it’s OK to use your woodstove.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.