The Tucson Citizen is our evening paper (Arizona Daily Star is our morning paper) and the headline knocked my socks off. The local media has hardly touched the subject, let alone a headline story!

(To be fair, however, I can only report for the morning paper- that is the one delivered to our home. I rarely see what's happening in the evening edition.)

A few snips:

"Afraid that the Y2K problem may cut off their electricity, Tucsonans and other people across the country are buying portable generators faster than makers can crank them out.

The Home Depot...sold eight generators on Monday alone....

Ace Hardware can't keep generators on the shelves....

(The local) Honda center...sells about five per day."

This is interesting to me because I have been going to local stores for a few months now looking to buy myself a small unit. Granted I have not gone shopping every day, but when I did go I did not see one, not one, generator on the shelf for sale. This included trips to Costco, Sam's, Home Depot, Harbor Freight, and Ace (one particular Ace in Tucson is supposedly the largest Ace in the southwest).

If your interested in reading the whole story see:

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/news/stories/Story1874781.html

PJ- in Tucson, where life is not liveable without electricity.

-- PJ (Just@here.com), March 18, 1999

Answers

PJ wrote, ... in Tucson, where life is not liveable without electricity where life is not livable without electricity

This is not a flame,
I like all that you post,
But in pre-Columbian times,
was everyone toast ?

-- Blue Himalayan (bh@k2.y), March 18, 1999.

I suspect that the masses of populations now in the US southwest would not be there without what technology has done in the last 60 years or more. For an interesting look at the connection between water/power and the development of the US southwest check out this site (based on a book and PBS series:

http://kteh.org/cadillacdesert/home.html

The Cadillac Desert

Got PV panels? Wind turbine?

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), March 18, 1999.

Blue Himalayan, ask the Anasazi what became of them at the hands of the unforgiving desert... ask them, and you will hear only the wind reply.

Toast, indeed.

-- sparks (wireless@home.com), March 18, 1999.

Indeed, life isn't livable in Tucson without electricity... or in LA, or Phoenix, or Las Vegas, or a hundred other desert oases that require that their water be brought to them, either up from the ground or via aqueducts. Forget about Y2K for a moment - these cities are going to become deathtraps if the grid goes down for more than a few day, for any reason... terrorism, war, human error...

Ask yourself this, and give yourself a hard answer: are you really comfortable knowing that you're basically on life support?

-- sparks (wireless@home.com), March 18, 1999.

I traded my 2500 watt Coleman for a 5000 watt unit at Sams. They had eight 5000 watters. 10 days later every one was sold.

-- a (a@a.a), March 18, 1999.

What astounds me are the numbers of people that are buying LARGE generators in our area. We recently went shopping for a 40kw and discovered that people were in line for the big ones too. When we went to Catapiller to see what they had, the saleman told us that our local electrical co op was buying 65kw and up, mostly up! These generators were then being taken to the large businesses and installed by the co op. When we went to an independent company thatt sells and installs and servicesonly generators, they told us that their business had doubled. And since they provide generators for the Carribbean islands, they have a large business. They sent boat loads of them to Puerto Rico after the big hurricane last year. The fellow at Cat wasn't too bright in my opinion. He thinks y2k is a hoax (but will take all his money out of the bank in Dec.) The fellow at the generator store, where we bought ours, is very y2k astute and very concerned. My husband decided on a 40kw which is more than we need. However, he wants to be able to run his shop equipment and be in a place where we help our neighbors and pump water for the neighbors. We feel its important that neighbors defend rather than attack us. Our plans are to turn it on for several hours several times a week. Due to its size we can cook, wash clothes, run hot water heater and bathe, etc. all at the same time. We have 1500 gal of diesel. After that its spit baths and solar oven. Also hubby plans to batter his time and water for gasoline and diese when ever he can. My best friend lives 4 miles away and her husband fixed up an old ATV for her to come to our house and do the washing once a week. We have a mother in law apt so have two washers and driers.

-- Taz (tassie@aol.com), March 19, 1999.