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California: Big Brother to control your thermostat?

nightsky

Lover of Mountains
http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59639

Wow. Just..wow. Gov't is becoming more and more invasive. This is so disgusting and insulting. And of course, they try to flower it up under the guise 'it's good for the consumer'. BS! Reason #4565 California needs to fall off into the ocean.
 
thank god. i've been trying to get my dad to buy me a thermostat for a long time.
 
Jesus... this is just ridiculous. California laws are horrible enough as it is without the ever-increasing electronic controls being implemented. I hate how the spokeswoman beat around the bush and played down the implications of it. This is just one more step to a more controlling government. Precedents like this open the door for even more remote monitoring of private citizens.
 
You can end it by voting for Ron Paul :)
 
At first, I couldn't believe it. But then I saw the advertising and other ...let's say pieces... on that website. I may as well get my news from the paper that gave us Bat Boy. Just right wing propaganda crap. When CNN, or even Fox news says something on the matter, then I'll take it halfway seriously. Maybe a quarter seriously, in the case of Fox news.

I'm sure theres a precious morsel of truth, but it's probably not nearly as horrific as that website makes it sound. They are painting California to look worse than it really is.
 
its says its only a four degree difference I doubt it will be like uh oh I cant provide the needed temperatures for my plants,
still I think its pretty gay.
 
Weird I lived in ventura for like 10 years,well I like california but many laws are just dumb ....
 
4 degrese around the state of Cali can = allot of money

but im sure allot of it has to do with, just one more thing the government is "willing" to do to get more control of our lives.

ITS TO COOL IN YOUR HOUSE WE WANT YOUR TEMP TO GO DOWN ANOTHER DEGREE!
 
Something has to be done.

My solution is to limit each residence to 30 amps (pulling a number out of the air) of power during "emergencies". It would require separate metering and new wiring inside, but people would decide how to allocate their own power use and those who already don't use much wouldn't have to sacrifice for those do. The other benefit is that it allows electricity pricing to be rational. Some place already have two-tiered pricing, based on time of day, I think, but this would go beyond that. It's peak power production that's so expensive, yet the cost is shared even by those who don't create the big demand. The cost of power beyond the base level should reflect its higher cost. Most of the time, people's power consumption would be based on what they're willing to pay for it, with the recognition that anything beyond base level costs much more. They only lose the ability to choose to use a lot during a crisis.
 
  • #10
geez nightsky, thanks for wanting my death!

what a bull **** law though! cant wait for a new govenaytah.
 
  • #11
I agree something has to be done with all our energy problems. We got to end the set of mind of violating our freedoms. We ALL have to start making sacrifices. If we refuse to do it ourselves then the government is going to have to step in. I think people who drive around in huge SUV's should pay way more for gas than people with small cars. Maybe the same should be done with electricity.
I worked for a plant that had a red flashing light in the control room. The light was controlled by the power company. The light was turned on when the power company was reaching peak power times. When the light came on, the plant had to shut down.
 
  • #12
Pssh. Why should we sacrifice if we would rather pay higher electricity bills? "Sacrifice or else the government will make you do it" does not sound like the American way to me. I thought this country was big on freedom, and you're saying it's OK for the government to control out air conditioners?

Hike up the electricity bills, I don't care, but don't regulate our thermostats for us. If we want to pay for it, we should be able to. Build more nuclear power plants to keep up with the demands. Why is it that we haven't built one in like 30 years, again?
 
  • #13
That's basically what I said. If you use over a certain amount you pay more per kilowatt. Same for gas.

The reason we haven't built new nuclear power plants is because people are scared of them. They protest whenever one is planned to be built. Since other fuel sources were so cheap, it was cheaper to build coal, natural gas and other power companies. Now it's worth the cost to fight these groups. There was a case in New Hampshire where the power company wanted to produce more electricity and the watch groups protested. The power company won.

As some of you know I work at a GE plant that produces nuclear fuel for reactors. The plant I work at is the world headquarters for GNF. GNF is a partnership between GE, Hitachi and Toshiba. So I know some of the future for nuclear reactors.

One major problem with nuclear power plants is that they all are different. GNF has developed a power plant that will be mass produced. One reactor will be the same as all the others.

I have also heard but can't confirm that the new method will use lasers to produce the fuel. And instead of uranium pellets they will use liquid uranium. I do know that they are about to build a HUGE mock reactor. They have been hiring on average of 30 engineers a month. So you know they have big plans.
 
  • #14
I think something has to be done, and 4 degrees is a minimal difference. They are building huge communities in California where that water and energy resources are astronomical because the area is not appropriate for that sort of development. This country has a gratuitous wasteful mindset on everything, so much garbage production, pollution production, water consumption than the rest of the world because the population is spoiled. I think water limits would be more practical, but again more plants to feed an addicts need does not solve anything about the root of the problem, wastefulness.
 
  • #15
Lasers and liquid uranium? I have to say, that is some of the coolest stuff I've ever heard of lol. That just sounds cool as hell dude.

Who cares if we are wasteful? If I want to pay sky high prices in order to continue my wastefulness, why not? If you want to sacrifice your lifestyle for the good of the planet (or some other result that you'll die long before you ever see the benefits) that's fine with me, but don't force me to do what you say. 4 degrees isn't a lot, you're right. This is about principal. And anyway this will never happen anyway, this is all speculation anyway.

Who cares if we waste more than the rest of the world? I could care less about the rest of the world in this situation. I care about me, myself, and I. Who cares if we're spoiled? If we want to pay extra to be spoiled, I don't see what the problem is. Take that extra money and plant trees or some crap. Look at it like first class on an airplane. So what if you don't need it? You pay more to get what you want and it's not really any one else's concern. If the power companies can't keep up, sucks for them is all I say. Time for a different company to move in that CAN keep up. Build more nuclear reactors. We have nuclear technology, but we won't use it. That's stupid as hell. I ALSO support solar and wind technology completely.

What's next? Will you complain when they limit your internet access, or TV viewing hours, or what if you may only drive on certain days? Will they limit the time you can shower, or limit how much light you can give your plants? Where will it end?

This is all hypothetical anyway.
 
  • #16
I care about me, myself, and I.


The root of all Americas problems.
 
  • #17
Hehe, what can I say? It's the truth.
 
  • #18
You're right, it is the truth.
 
  • #19
Here's a question (I genuinely don't know the answer): Why can't they build more power plants? They obviously don't have enough power to meet peak demands, thus the supply is insufficient. As the population grows, they will have to eventually anyway. Why is California having so many power problems?

Anyway, just more justification to 'get off the grid' like I plan to someday as solar power equipment becomes more affordable. I have a friend back home that did it, and it works great. It was just so expensive to set up!

Edit:

Here's another link to the story from a diff't site:
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/01/08/news/top_stories/1_02_261_7_08.txt
 
  • #20
Canada is looking better and better each day. :-O
 
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