Tuesday 31 March 2015

A Change in Perspective - Blackout

On the 31st of March 2015 Turkey had the most extensive black out I have ever seen. 81 provinces were affected, including the largest city Istanbul. Ankara, the capital had a flicker but soon restored it's power. The only place untouched was Van (in the East of Turkey) because it imports it's electricity from Iran.

It cut out at 10am, coming on briefly at 4pm before going off again at 7:30pm. The power is now back and looking like it might stay, just in time for us all to go to bed.

The Metros and trains were at standstill under and over ground across Istanbul and the rest of Turkey. Many people were trapped in lifts for over 5 hours. No traffic lights, no ATM, no card machines to pay for anything. Hospitals, and airports kicked in with emergency generators. But with no warning when the power might be off or on, apparently the city was in a muddle all day. 

People in town mostly have new electric kitchens and cookers because it is more reliable. With many people dependent on central heating, this grey and chilly spring day must have been particularly glum.

We are all feeling quite chipper here, almost smug. With two wood stoves to warm the house, insulated walls and double curtains it was quite warm inside. I lit the fires at about 2pm and then went out into the garden to warm up. I sawed up wood to dry for next year's fires and brought in some logs from the wood pile (heavy and hot work). Then I mixed up a batch of Banana muffins and put them in the oven. There is always plenty to do.

Meanwhile the cockerel I killed on Friday has been slowly processed and made into soup which has bubbled away on the stove all day.

When Mummy came home I had candles lit, supper ready, with hot water for tea.

If this was a cyber attack/sabotage it barely touched us up in the mountains. Everyone has a soba (wood stove) in at least one room of the house. When we all thought the world might end in 2012 many thought a technological failure would be how our civilisation would fail, plunging us back into the dark ages.

Much of our work is dependent on the wifi, so clever Alan has rigged a car battery to power the router if it's a real emergency. There is a real argument for living in the sustainable way that we live here.

It often takes a change of scenes or shift in circumstances to see things clearly. With the moon nearly full tonight and all the stars coming out I thought: "you don't know what you've got, till the lights have gone out."

No comments:

Post a Comment