Sustainable living: Routine power failure or winds of change?

Heavy winds are nothing new for Californians, although the damaging gusts usually come in the summer. The early December windstorm that rattled the state — much worse in southern California, but quite disruptive in our neck of the woods, too — was somewhat of an anomaly.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised by such unusually extreme weather, which seems to be the new norm. In fact, we should expect the unexpected, as each new year brings new quirks in what used to be a fairly predictable climate.
What we do know, backed by a consensus of the world’s most reputable climate scientists (and denied by those who feel threatened by carbon emission limits — just follow the money), is that man-made climate change is fully under way. And guess what: The worst is yet to come.
So let’s treat the recent windstorm, resulting in extended power failures and property damage, as a golden opportunity to take stock of our ability to respond and adapt to such convulsive events.
Emergency preparedness should be second-nature in any area prone to earthquakes, let alone routine power outages, but we often don’t think of such helpful preparations until after they’re needed.
Were you able to find candles, ice, firewood, ready-to-eat food and other necessities for the 24-plus electricity-free hours experienced in the Valley? Did you simply switch on your gasoline-powered generator? Or were you caught flat-footed?
The wind-triggered chaos was also a great time to determine what is essential in our lives (Was the candle-lit story time with your kids more memorable than an evening of television?) and to see first-hand just how much we take our plug-it-in culture for granted.
Thankfully, most electrical lines in the area were restored after a day or so. However, some customers were dark for a few days.
What if Pacific Gas and Electric Co. was somehow unable to respond to downed power lines that blacked out much of Felton, Scotts Valley, Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek? How would we cope with an extended or even permanent power failure? It’s worth considering, particularly as our ever-more-complex infrastructure begins to deteriorate and the global economy appears to be heading into a state of permanent decline.
The only way to be truly (if not completely) removed from the effects of weather-induced power failures is to live off the grid. That’s just not feasible for most people, at least not within the context of modern life, but just think for a minute how heavily we all depend on inputs such as electricity, natural gas, Internet service and mail delivery, and even outputs, such as curbside garbage pickup and septic waste removal.
No one knows what the future will bring or how long we will be able to depend on such complex systems – but we all can prepare for both short-term and long-term contingencies.
The types of items you would gather in the event of an earthquake serve as a general guide for short-term emergencies. These items should include flashlights, ready-to-eat food, water, a first-aid kit, blankets, a battery-operated radio, a camp stove, and so on.
Preparing for long-term emergencies and yet-to-be-realized difficulties in our daily lives requires a little more innovation, patience and — perhaps most important of all — a willingness to work with your neighbors. We only have the luxury of buying, ordering and otherwise taking care of everything ourselves (assuming we have the money to do so) because of these convenient inputs.
Transition San Lorenzo Valley is working toward developing collaborative new ways to produce food, access and distribute clean drinking water, provide adequate shelter, stay warm and — no less important — regain a sense of culture apart from television, the Internet and other isolating diversions.
It wouldn’t be so bad if we created a better world by preparing for the worst.
Steve Tanner is a writer and journalist living in Ben Lomond with his wife, young daughter, dog and four hens. He is on the steering committee for Transition San Lorenzo Valley, a local nonprofit committed to creating a more sustainable and resilient community. For information: www.transitionslv.org.