EDITORIAL

By Jason Moore JUST hours after a major power-cut and demand for electricity in the Balearics reaches a new high. In other-words the appeal by the Gas and Electricity Board (GESA) for moderation fell on deaf ears. Now, I know that it is not really our problem that GESA cannot keep up with demand, we just want a proper service. But the fact that no-one is prepared to make even a small effort shows that there is no sense of community or solidarity. It is exactly the same when it comes to water-saving drives. People simply do not take any notice. The Balearic government is looking at the possibility of taking radical action which could involve cutting off power to all non-essential customers if and when the network becomes overloaded. This is not really a solution. Unless we are prepared to take note of what GESA is saying then a new power station will have to be built with all its necessary polluting consequences. This is the main stumbling block. The proposal to build a new power station has been on the table for some time but there hasn't been the necessary political will to move forward. The only short-term solution is to moderate our use of electricity. It is not a lot to ask. I am sure that if everyone put their mind to it electricity could be saved without much hardship. GESA has a wide range of energy saving ideas which many of us could employ. It is all very well blaming GESA but a bit of solidarity on our part wouldn't go amiss especially if blackouts such as the one on Monday could be avoided.