By DARCY DARBIN
Staff Writer
As we know, Hurricane Sandy, the worst hurricane the Atlantic Ocean has seen, knocked out the power of nearly 2 million people in New Jersey just as Halloween approached. It closed the New York Stock Exchange for 2 days. Some people who have suffered without power would say that humans have become too dependent on power, and that this dependency in unnecessary or unhealthy. Over our time off, my mother commented that “the hurricane has showed us how much we take advantage of electricity”. This view is entirely false.
Electricity does power most of what we do: lights, heating/air conditioning, refrigeration, and Internet access. These are clearly necessities, thus our consumption of power is acceptable. During the time my home was powerless, we were fortunate enough to have a generator, but still suffered considerably. At night when the freezing temperatures settled, 3 sweaters, 4 blankets, 2 pairs of socks and 2 pairs of sweatpants barely sufficed. Heating is not taken advantage of, but is used properly; this is anything but superfluous. Refrigeration is obviously needed; one cannot drink curdled milk.
It is not uncommon to find people who find the Internet expendable. In fact, Governor Christie had said to the public multiple times said that if you’re trying to vote to use email. Also, because of social networking, people have been able to find gas and ways to help those in need in areas like Staten Island. Apps like GasBuddy have helped people find gas to power their generators. News stations interviewing pedestrians who were impacted by Sandy say often that social media guided them to gas stations and polling places. Clearly, the Internet is extremely helpful.
Those who believe that electricity is taken advantage of do not realize its importance, especially in today’s society and situations like Hurricane Sandy.