30 Of The Best Reactions Texans Had To Being Told Not To Use ACs During A Heatwave
Living in Texas this year has been a true challenge—the power grid can’t handle the drastic weather changes and millions of people are suffering as a result. There’s a blistering heatwave ravaging Texas right now, reaching over 90 degrees F (32 degrees C). And Texans are urged to conserve power so as not to overload the independent power grid the state uses and to avoid an emergency like earlier this year.
Back in February, a massive and deadly winter storm hit the state and left millions without power because the infrastructure wasn’t upgraded to deal with such events and because Texas has its own electric power grid, managed by ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. More than 151 people died because of the cold and the power outages and several power companies went bankrupt.
Now, during the heatwave, Texans are asked to set their thermostats to 78 degrees F (25.6 degrees C) or higher during the day and 82 degrees F (27.8 degrees C) at night to save energy. Which means no relief from the heat. Bored Panda has collected some of the most spot-on reactions to ERCOT’s demands. Check them out below.
With temperatures soaring during the summer, we need to know how to remain healthy, hydrated, and cool. I reached out to Dr. Andrew Carroll, from Arizona, to hear how to survive in extreme heat, no matter where you live. "Living in Arizona, you learn how to live in the heat. We are currently in our own heatwave, with our temperatures hitting 117 degrees F in the afternoon (47 degrees C)," Dr. Carroll told Bored Panda.
"Dizziness, headache, abdominal pain, fatigue, body aches can be the first signs of heat exhaustion. If it’s a hot day and you start seeing these signs, get into air conditioning and start drinking fluids with electrolytes (PediaLyte, Gatorade, etc)," Dr. Carroll warned. "You should not return to outdoor activity anymore that day. Heatstroke is typically extreme fatigue, confusion, abdominal and body aches, and lack of sweating. Heatstroke should be evaluated at an Emergency Room, as it can be life-threatening."
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“California is now unable to perform even basic functions of civilization, like having reliable electricity,” he tweeted at the time. “Biden/Harris/AOC want to make CA’s failed energy policy the standard nationwide. Hope you don’t like air conditioning!” Mr Cruz added in the August 2020 tweet.
During heatwaves, how you structure your entire day can shift dramatically. Dr. Carroll explained how the people living in Arizona survive the heat and it's applicable to everyone.
"We survive it by:
-Going out to exercise as early as 4:30 am in order to get back by 5:30 am;
-Most people who work outside (construction, landscapers, roofers, farmers, etc.) start working around 5 am, and make sure to get back indoors by 2 pm at the latest;
-Get most errands done early in the morning (groceries, gas, etc.);
-Wait until the sun is no longer shining down before returning to outdoor activities;
-Park your vehicle under a tree when you can find one."
Dr. Carroll advised everyone to drink twice as much water or electrolyte fluid as they think they need during heatwaves. "Wear clothing which covers the skin completely and a wide-brimmed hat. Exposed skin will lead to dehydration more quickly, and increase your risk of skin cancer due to sun exposure. Do not wear confining or constricting clothing as it can impede your ability to sweat, which is crucial in keeping you cool," he said.
Nope, it also can't handle rain or storms. But what do you expect when you're given the choice between keeping pace with technological development and being able to buy another $1 million property this year.
Ted Cruz only cares for Ted Cruz like Donnie Trump only cares for Donnie Trump. They are both Republicans by the way....
ERCOT also asked Texans to unplug unused devices and avoid using large electric appliances (e.g. washing machines and pool pumps) until the demand for power drops down. This is the second energy conservation alert in Texas so far in 2021.
Texas’ independent power grid means that the state has far more independence, energy and decision-wise, it also means that when it gets overloaded or an emergency happens, there are fewer options to support your everyday Texans, who suffer as a result.
There’s less federal regulation but the cavalry won’t be rushing to the rescue every time that the state needs help, either, so it’s quite literally risking your people’s welfare for the sake of more freedom.
78 is my standard setting. I just need to not be hot, that's it. I don't need my home to be as cool as my refrigerator.
Back in May, ERCOT officials promised that the power grid would be able to provide enough electricity to meet the peak demand for energy in the summer. However, now there are fears that the demand is getting too big and that the power reserve margins are too narrow. Hence, the demand to conserve energy.
While in February, over 4 million people lost power as power generators iced over. And while some progress has occurred since then—lawmakers have made changes to ‘weatherize’ power plants to deal with extreme temperatures—experts believe that these reforms aren’t enough to prevent another similar disaster.
Wasn't he the jerk who fled to a warmer climate with jhs family when Texas was deep frozen and people were dying from hypothermia because the electrical infrastructure collapsed due to deferred maintenance?
You need airconditioning to get down to 27,7°C? Damn, I really feel sorry for you know. I was crying when my room had 26°C without airconditioning last night, but your temperatures are way higher! O.o
82° Fahrenheit = 27.7 ° Celsius. That's not a temperature where you can sleep well in.
and Cruz will blame his wife and children because they want to see snow in June.
Heading to some cooler areas where he can be the jerk he always is without risking a heat stroke.
As someone who has had heat stroke, he deserves to have one
Load More Replies...Cruz has a huge gut; and is probably to weak to even lift one suitcase.
I mean if the dog has a choice of being cared for by Cruz or the security guards who are almost certainly actual human beings, it might be better off...
Load More Replies...Yeah, him giving a speech with the governor to monitor your thermostats, and he drops dead from heatstroke, and then the governor passes out from the same, would look bad on the news... so they give their speeches from a comfortable temp area... yeahs, that isn't gonna fly.
Ted Cruz just changed his travelling plans and is heading to the North Pole to spite you.
Not to worry, Texas solution this September is to allow everyone to carry firearms without a permit or training.
They need the guns to stop women from getting abortions.
Load More Replies..."We learned our lesson during the winter!" ~not texas power provider
For context: the Texas Interconnection grid is mostly detached from the two larger grids in the US for, well, not really sound reasons. This makes it prone to instability in cases were either demand (like now or in cold winter) or supply (like when there is much wind, the wind power production was 20% in 2019, so there must be much capacity) get into an imbalance. From an engineering standpoint, the power grids in North America are ridiculously bad. The System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) for central European countries – with interconnected state grids – is about 10-30 minutes a year. The US figure is about 300! Undoubtedly, this is not due to a lack of engineering prowess but of political will to do somethign about it.
TLDR: Texans are so frothingly against "government" that they don't realize they're hurting themselves, and deregulation sucked. Also, yes, @Hans, our power grids are way out of date. That was being said in the 1980s, when Reagan and crew pushed deregulating.
Load More Replies...Exactly... I don't see the big scandal in not turning the AC on unless it's 40C with a lot of humidity...
Load More Replies...Evidently there's enough money in the Texas budget to build a fence, but not enough to fix the power grid. Republican Texas politicians are so backward! I'm a Texan. Sigh.
Texas, the only state with their very own power grid. Hasn't been working out too well lately.
As a german, where most private homes do not have AC, and it gets up to 100°, I think it's ridicolous :-D
PLEASE remember all this when it comes to voting! You get what you ordered . . .
My bathroom light burned out a few weeks ago and I got a panic attack thinking my power was going out again. I had to step away from social media after ERCOT once again threatened us earlier this week because while the Winter was tough, losing power in this heat will in fact kill people. I wish people understood we are not all the stereotypical gun toting red they think we are. So many comments of "well, I bet you voted for this" or "just vote next time" without understanding the vast gerrymandering and voting rules people here have to jump through. Maybe just maybe understand many of us who have been trying our whole damned lives to change things while Ted Cruz and Dan Crenshaw get PR on Jimmy Kimmel and SNL during election years do NOT help us.
Currently in FL with non working a.c. 82 would be great right now. On another note maybe I've lived in the FL heat long enough but everyone acting like anything above 75 is too hot is surprising to me since even when the a.c was working it was usually set at 80 or the lowest maybe 78 if it was off for awhile.
I think it just has to do with what people are accustomed to. I live in CA but I grew up in a freezing cold house in the summer. I can shuffle through 75-78 degrees during the day. But at night it has to be below 68 degrees. Studies have also shown that optimal sleep is done between 65-68 degrees.
Load More Replies...texas power plants & the grid are owned by the super-rich who live out of the state... they don't give a damn about investing in more plants that will take care of the needs of texans... they just want us to keep sending them our money without any accountability on their part... this is enough to make me think about turning socialist... more regulation and laws don't seem to be making much of a difference... what are they doing in Minnesota for winters and Arizona for summers that is so different & better than what Texas is doing??? My next big purchase is a generator since I can't rely on ercot for electricity they contracted to provide... it's enough to turn me into a prepper...
Before AC: southern states weren't as successful in attracting residents and industry. AC made it possible for southern states to compete. In Texas and other southwest states, old buildings' exterior walls were very thick adobe or brick. Large wrap-around porches, big trees, and windows helped, too. People used to sleep in screened porches.
At least at day they could use sunpower to generate solar-energy? Here you can buy your solarpanels even if you rent: just Clip them to your balcony.
I'm not sure about Texas, but here in California, we're asked to conserve more in the late afternoon and early evening now. It used to be day time was the peak load, and rates were higher. Now, we're charged more for energy usage from 4-9pm. There's less solar power coming into the grid at that time. But it's also the time when most people are coming home from work, cooking dinner, and using that AC when it's hot. I'm guessing they may have a similar thing going on in Texas since they're asking people to set their thermostat higher at night than during the day.
Load More Replies...having my AC set on 74 is usually enough to have me sweating and throwing all the covers off. even 73 isn't guaranteed to run consistently, depending on the outside temperature. 82 for sleeping is a f*cking joke, and honestly dangerous for some people with health concerns. texas needs to fix its $hit.
And following all of this comes the reconning where everybody votes for them again and they suffer no consequences whatsoever for their actions.
only 40% of homes from Washington and Oregon have AC in their houses. The average summer high temperature is 78, but is has gone up to 118. So, 78 seems like a reasonable level to say, "don't turn the AC lower" since people seem to do just fine at that temp in the Pacific North West.
I think it depends a lot on which side of the Cascades you are on. The west side, you're good. The east however, can get pretty roasty in the summer.
Load More Replies...82F is about 28C, for people using Celsius. No way in hell could ANYONE sleep in that. Heck, I struggled to get to sleep in 20C (68F) last night.
Not one meme combining a thermostat set at 68° and a shotgun... y'all must be in a different TEXAS than I know
In the UK, we live without AC, and granted, maybe it's not quite as hot as Texas, but in summer it can regularly reach near 30c in some places (hottest recorded temp at 38.7C/101F), and us brits simply aren't used to that kind of weather. (luckily our summer has so far been mostly cool, at least in my area) Anyhow, here's a tip on how to cope with heat just a little better:. You know those rubber hot water bottles you'd normally fill with hot water? If you have 'em, fill them with cool water and put them in the freezer for a few hours, and you will have an ice pack to cuddle and feel cooler. I use this tactic on hot nights to cool down the bed. If you have more than one, you can alternate their use between the day, but I definitely suggest using it on a night, as sleep is important, and it's much easier imo, to sleep in a cooler bed than on a sauna. (and whilst you may not be "allowed" to use your ac, I'm going to assume they can't stop you using your refrigerators/freezers)
Or just put some f*****g solar sells onto the roof, balcony or garden. They are really not that expensive any more.
I'm a bit confused. Aren't these warnings, so there's no outage? So if people refuse to follow the warnings, is an outage not likely? And if it's likely, wouldn't that mean that NO AC would be working, so nothing would be gained by just 'standing your ground' and refuse to follow the recommendations?
I prefer my AC to be at 19 but compromise with my budget and set it at 21. Those temps are not reasonable, USA is becoming a third world country
Our temp outside in Ga, is 2010in end of May, was 110! Our AC broke, and it was so muggy and hot, I tried a cold shower then powder... I was a big , clumpy mess! Laying under the ceiling fan was not helping. We stuck our sheets, rolled up and into the fridge all day! To put on the bed at night!
The grid in a lot of places can't handle the AC use on hot days, and this shift to electric cars isn't going to help that. Electric cars make up less than 1% of cars on the road today, but with companies like GM saying they're going all electric by 2035 and California banning the sale of ICMs in just 15 years, that's a real added strain. I've read that some electricity experts claim that if everyone had an electric car, power use would increase 25%! Unless we start seeing more coal power plants, or nuclear plants being built, (not going to happen easily) how can this be addressed?
I've lived in several states over the years. The only one that couldn't handle the heat was Texas. It's the fault of their inept government and decision to go at it alone rather than adhere to federal regulations. You do realize the earth has a finite amount of coal, right? But, you know, if the sun goes anywhere air conditioning will be the least of our problems. On top of that 'green' jobs pay substantially better. I'll never understand why someone in coal country would rather work in a mine for next to nothing rather than install solar panels for $20 an hour.
Load More Replies...I think that in some countries people are really used to use AC. In my country almost everybody hates AC, tonight i slept perfectly with 27degrees (80f) with a fleece blanket, after eating a big hot plate of ricotta-lemon penne lol. I think that in those countries people lost the ability to cope with heat. When i was in vacation in Marrakech in spring (40c/104f), the first thing i did in my hotel room was turning the AC down. EDIT: but when i visited Hong-Kong in the summer i loved AC because the air was really wet and the heat was unbearable because of it.
Load More Replies...Not to worry, Texas solution this September is to allow everyone to carry firearms without a permit or training.
They need the guns to stop women from getting abortions.
Load More Replies..."We learned our lesson during the winter!" ~not texas power provider
For context: the Texas Interconnection grid is mostly detached from the two larger grids in the US for, well, not really sound reasons. This makes it prone to instability in cases were either demand (like now or in cold winter) or supply (like when there is much wind, the wind power production was 20% in 2019, so there must be much capacity) get into an imbalance. From an engineering standpoint, the power grids in North America are ridiculously bad. The System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) for central European countries – with interconnected state grids – is about 10-30 minutes a year. The US figure is about 300! Undoubtedly, this is not due to a lack of engineering prowess but of political will to do somethign about it.
TLDR: Texans are so frothingly against "government" that they don't realize they're hurting themselves, and deregulation sucked. Also, yes, @Hans, our power grids are way out of date. That was being said in the 1980s, when Reagan and crew pushed deregulating.
Load More Replies...Exactly... I don't see the big scandal in not turning the AC on unless it's 40C with a lot of humidity...
Load More Replies...Evidently there's enough money in the Texas budget to build a fence, but not enough to fix the power grid. Republican Texas politicians are so backward! I'm a Texan. Sigh.
Texas, the only state with their very own power grid. Hasn't been working out too well lately.
As a german, where most private homes do not have AC, and it gets up to 100°, I think it's ridicolous :-D
PLEASE remember all this when it comes to voting! You get what you ordered . . .
My bathroom light burned out a few weeks ago and I got a panic attack thinking my power was going out again. I had to step away from social media after ERCOT once again threatened us earlier this week because while the Winter was tough, losing power in this heat will in fact kill people. I wish people understood we are not all the stereotypical gun toting red they think we are. So many comments of "well, I bet you voted for this" or "just vote next time" without understanding the vast gerrymandering and voting rules people here have to jump through. Maybe just maybe understand many of us who have been trying our whole damned lives to change things while Ted Cruz and Dan Crenshaw get PR on Jimmy Kimmel and SNL during election years do NOT help us.
Currently in FL with non working a.c. 82 would be great right now. On another note maybe I've lived in the FL heat long enough but everyone acting like anything above 75 is too hot is surprising to me since even when the a.c was working it was usually set at 80 or the lowest maybe 78 if it was off for awhile.
I think it just has to do with what people are accustomed to. I live in CA but I grew up in a freezing cold house in the summer. I can shuffle through 75-78 degrees during the day. But at night it has to be below 68 degrees. Studies have also shown that optimal sleep is done between 65-68 degrees.
Load More Replies...texas power plants & the grid are owned by the super-rich who live out of the state... they don't give a damn about investing in more plants that will take care of the needs of texans... they just want us to keep sending them our money without any accountability on their part... this is enough to make me think about turning socialist... more regulation and laws don't seem to be making much of a difference... what are they doing in Minnesota for winters and Arizona for summers that is so different & better than what Texas is doing??? My next big purchase is a generator since I can't rely on ercot for electricity they contracted to provide... it's enough to turn me into a prepper...
Before AC: southern states weren't as successful in attracting residents and industry. AC made it possible for southern states to compete. In Texas and other southwest states, old buildings' exterior walls were very thick adobe or brick. Large wrap-around porches, big trees, and windows helped, too. People used to sleep in screened porches.
At least at day they could use sunpower to generate solar-energy? Here you can buy your solarpanels even if you rent: just Clip them to your balcony.
I'm not sure about Texas, but here in California, we're asked to conserve more in the late afternoon and early evening now. It used to be day time was the peak load, and rates were higher. Now, we're charged more for energy usage from 4-9pm. There's less solar power coming into the grid at that time. But it's also the time when most people are coming home from work, cooking dinner, and using that AC when it's hot. I'm guessing they may have a similar thing going on in Texas since they're asking people to set their thermostat higher at night than during the day.
Load More Replies...having my AC set on 74 is usually enough to have me sweating and throwing all the covers off. even 73 isn't guaranteed to run consistently, depending on the outside temperature. 82 for sleeping is a f*cking joke, and honestly dangerous for some people with health concerns. texas needs to fix its $hit.
And following all of this comes the reconning where everybody votes for them again and they suffer no consequences whatsoever for their actions.
only 40% of homes from Washington and Oregon have AC in their houses. The average summer high temperature is 78, but is has gone up to 118. So, 78 seems like a reasonable level to say, "don't turn the AC lower" since people seem to do just fine at that temp in the Pacific North West.
I think it depends a lot on which side of the Cascades you are on. The west side, you're good. The east however, can get pretty roasty in the summer.
Load More Replies...82F is about 28C, for people using Celsius. No way in hell could ANYONE sleep in that. Heck, I struggled to get to sleep in 20C (68F) last night.
Not one meme combining a thermostat set at 68° and a shotgun... y'all must be in a different TEXAS than I know
In the UK, we live without AC, and granted, maybe it's not quite as hot as Texas, but in summer it can regularly reach near 30c in some places (hottest recorded temp at 38.7C/101F), and us brits simply aren't used to that kind of weather. (luckily our summer has so far been mostly cool, at least in my area) Anyhow, here's a tip on how to cope with heat just a little better:. You know those rubber hot water bottles you'd normally fill with hot water? If you have 'em, fill them with cool water and put them in the freezer for a few hours, and you will have an ice pack to cuddle and feel cooler. I use this tactic on hot nights to cool down the bed. If you have more than one, you can alternate their use between the day, but I definitely suggest using it on a night, as sleep is important, and it's much easier imo, to sleep in a cooler bed than on a sauna. (and whilst you may not be "allowed" to use your ac, I'm going to assume they can't stop you using your refrigerators/freezers)
Or just put some f*****g solar sells onto the roof, balcony or garden. They are really not that expensive any more.
I'm a bit confused. Aren't these warnings, so there's no outage? So if people refuse to follow the warnings, is an outage not likely? And if it's likely, wouldn't that mean that NO AC would be working, so nothing would be gained by just 'standing your ground' and refuse to follow the recommendations?
I prefer my AC to be at 19 but compromise with my budget and set it at 21. Those temps are not reasonable, USA is becoming a third world country
Our temp outside in Ga, is 2010in end of May, was 110! Our AC broke, and it was so muggy and hot, I tried a cold shower then powder... I was a big , clumpy mess! Laying under the ceiling fan was not helping. We stuck our sheets, rolled up and into the fridge all day! To put on the bed at night!
The grid in a lot of places can't handle the AC use on hot days, and this shift to electric cars isn't going to help that. Electric cars make up less than 1% of cars on the road today, but with companies like GM saying they're going all electric by 2035 and California banning the sale of ICMs in just 15 years, that's a real added strain. I've read that some electricity experts claim that if everyone had an electric car, power use would increase 25%! Unless we start seeing more coal power plants, or nuclear plants being built, (not going to happen easily) how can this be addressed?
I've lived in several states over the years. The only one that couldn't handle the heat was Texas. It's the fault of their inept government and decision to go at it alone rather than adhere to federal regulations. You do realize the earth has a finite amount of coal, right? But, you know, if the sun goes anywhere air conditioning will be the least of our problems. On top of that 'green' jobs pay substantially better. I'll never understand why someone in coal country would rather work in a mine for next to nothing rather than install solar panels for $20 an hour.
Load More Replies...I think that in some countries people are really used to use AC. In my country almost everybody hates AC, tonight i slept perfectly with 27degrees (80f) with a fleece blanket, after eating a big hot plate of ricotta-lemon penne lol. I think that in those countries people lost the ability to cope with heat. When i was in vacation in Marrakech in spring (40c/104f), the first thing i did in my hotel room was turning the AC down. EDIT: but when i visited Hong-Kong in the summer i loved AC because the air was really wet and the heat was unbearable because of it.
Load More Replies...