By The Beatless Sense Mongers
http://membrane.com/The_Beatless_Sens...

A SCIENCE LESSON
Georgia and several states across the South and Southeast have borne the brunt of some of the most extreme weather-related power outages witnessed in the past two decades.

The significance of this issue cannot be overstated: as climate change exacerbates the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, ranging from scorching heat waves to devastating wildfires, the strain on the electrical grid intensifies.

The repercussions of these outages extend far beyond mere inconvenience. Lengthy periods without power can exact a heavy toll on both the economy and human lives, costing billions of dollars in economic losses and tragically leading to loss of life.

A comprehensive analysis conducted by the nonprofit research and communications group, Climate Central, paints a stark picture: approximately 80% of all major power outages in the United States between 2000 and 2023 can be attributed to extreme weather events. These outages, characterized by their impact on at least 50,000 homes or businesses, or the loss of at least 300 megawatts of service, underscore the vulnerability of our energy infrastructure in the face of climatic upheaval.

Of particular concern are the increasing threats posed by wildfires and heat waves, phenomena intricately linked to human-induced climate change. While wildfires pose a direct threat to power infrastructure, heat waves pose acute public health hazards, especially in densely populated urban centers like Atlanta, where extreme heat and stormwater flooding are looming risks.

Zooming in on Atlanta reveals a city grappling with the dual challenges of extreme heat and escalating cooling demands. Projections indicate that Georgia is slated to experience a substantial increase in cooling costs by 2053, accompanied by a surge in state CO2 emissions driven by heightened air conditioning usage, according to a 2022 analysis by the nonprofit First Street Foundation.

As climate scientist Dr. Emily Fischer aptly observes, the confluence of intensifying weather events and escalating stressors on the energy system foreshadows a troubling trend: the likelihood of weather-related power outages escalating across the nation. The imperative for proactive measures to bolster resilience and adaptability in the face of climate-induced challenges has never been more urgent.

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