4 ms·

Huh? I didn’t realize as a society we had “accepted natural gas explosions” as normal. The fact that this story even attracted national news tells me otherwise.

dmoy 8y ago
I think GP means we aren't now all calling to ban natural gas.
- snazz 8y ago
  Most of us in more northern locales wouldn’t be too happy if we had to get new furnaces and stoves, but we don’t care too much where our grid electricity comes from since we aren’t personally invested in it.
cc439 8y ago
There are untold numbers of pipeline explosions that either stay confined to local reporting or are forgotten almost immediately after they happen. Here's a severe one that happened down the street from me several years ago that never made national news (Link 1). Then you have the explosions that sent suburban Massachusetts into a complete state of emergency, damaging 131 homes, injuring 21, and killing 1 person (Link 2). That event is severe enough IMO that it should have sparked a national debate on the state of our critical utilities as it paralyzed everyone living near one of America's major cities (these were the suburbs many people in Boston commute from or have family/friends in) for several days and led to massive heating crisis due to paranoia of another distaster just a few weeks ago (Link 3). Gas explosions are lethal, and apparently, surprisingly common despite being a weekly/monthly occurence as far back as I can remember. Link 1: https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/2014/01/11/enka-explosion-felt-for-miles/4425475/ https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/2014/01/11/enka-exp... (search for pictures, it was a massive fountain of flames for several hours) Link 2: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/12/regulator-ties-pipeline-work-to-deadly-massachusetts-gas-explosion.html https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/12/regulator-ties-pipeline-work... Link 3: https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/east-bay/national-grid-working-to-restore-gas-service-in-newport-middletown/1714135023 https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/east-bay/national-grid-...

dmoy 8y ago

I think GP means we aren't now all calling to ban natural gas.

snazz 8y ago
Most of us in more northern locales wouldn’t be too happy if we had to get new furnaces and stoves, but we don’t care too much where our grid electricity comes from since we aren’t personally invested in it.

cc439 8y ago

There are untold numbers of pipeline explosions that either stay confined to local reporting or are forgotten almost immediately after they happen. Here's a severe one that happened down the street from me several years ago that never made national news (Link 1). Then you have the explosions that sent suburban Massachusetts into a complete state of emergency, damaging 131 homes, injuring 21, and killing 1 person (Link 2). That event is severe enough IMO that it should have sparked a national debate on the state of our critical utilities as it paralyzed everyone living near one of America's major cities (these were the suburbs many people in Boston commute from or have family/friends in) for several days and led to massive heating crisis due to paranoia of another distaster just a few weeks ago (Link 3). Gas explosions are lethal, and apparently, surprisingly common despite being a weekly/monthly occurence as far back as I can remember. Link 1: https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/2014/01/11/enka-explosion-felt-for-miles/4425475/ https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/2014/01/11/enka-exp... (search for pictures, it was a massive fountain of flames for several hours) Link 2: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/12/regulator-ties-pipeline-work-to-deadly-massachusetts-gas-explosion.html https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/12/regulator-ties-pipeline-work... Link 3: https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/east-bay/national-grid-working-to-restore-gas-service-in-newport-middletown/1714135023 https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/east-bay/national-grid-...