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> a traffic light system is set up at the pier. A red light requests residents to limit their usage; a green light, normal usage. That seems like a dystopia.
by fche 10y ago
> a traffic light system is set up at the pier. A red light requests residents to limit their usage; a green light, normal usage.
That seems like a dystopia.
- toomuchtodo 10y agoYou'd be terrified to know that some utilities will actually disable your AC or electric water heater remotely during periods of peak power usage if you've agreed to receive a discount for them to do so. Signaling conservation requests isn't dystopian.
- fche 10y agoNot terrified, just amused that people hold these rationing schemes up as some sort of victory.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- pjc50 10y agoEverything is rationed, it's just normally done with tradeable allocations. There are plenty of people on the mainland whose electricity goes off from time to time because they can't afford to put money "in" the meter. A more acute form of rationing in some ways when people around them can afford more energy than they need.
- snowwindwaves 10y agoIt means everybody's bill can be lower than if they had an additional generating facility that they only sometimes needed but still have to pay off all of the capital and maintenance costs, and possibly fuel if it is a diesel plant which is typical for small islanded systems. I think it is a victory if the community can work together to use less power when there is less supply rather then people using as much as they want and forcing rolling blackouts.
- vkou 10y agoEvery system that distributes scarce goods requires rationing. Sometimes, we ration equal amounts, based per person. Sometimes, we ration unequal amounts, based on how many dollars/denars/quatloos each person is willing to pay. Sometimes, we ration unequal amounts, by asking people who don't really need a good to voluntarily stop consuming it. There are pros and cons to each system - but all of them are rationing systems.