Mothers Speak about War and Terror: Discouraging

Monday, April 18, 2022

Discouraging

News blues

In the US state of Florida, a federal judge struck down President Joe Biden’s national mask mandate covering airplanes, airports and other public transportation. This prompted the White House to announce the rule would not be enforced while federal agencies decide how to respond to the judge’s order.

The ruling appeared to free operators to make their own decisions about mask requirements, with several airlines announcing they would drop mandates, but other transport networks including the New York City subway planning to keep them in place.

On war…

Photo essay documenting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine >>

Healthy planet, anyone?

President Ramaphosa addresses flooding across the east coasts of South Africa. Another national state of disaster!(25:00 mins)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Loadshedding at stage 4 today; no electricity from 2 to 4:30am, 10am to 12:30pm, and 8 – 10:30pm. This just-in-time change presented on the app at 7:30am.
How do small and large business owners and their formal and informal workers manage to run under these conditions? Some, grocery store chains and big manufacturing plants, for example, run petrol- or gas-powered generators. The “little guys”?
A generator parts manufacturing company lists challenges facing businesses:

Loss of production: where most businesses use electricity for machinery, technology and light to complete the day’s work, loss of electrical power means that the day’s target cannot be completed.
Loss of profit: with the loss of production, there is a loss of profit, and in some cases, a large loss. Businesses cannot keep pay their employees to be present during a power outage….
Theft and burglary: small businesses are choosing to close for business during load shedding as incidences of theft increase. During the power outage, burglar alarms are rendered useless, , with increased risk of burglary, unless they have an alternate power source.
Damage to electronics: the surge of electricity when the power is returned upsets the steady voltage flow in the electrical system. This in turn can cause damage to electronic components.

A study conducted in 2018 established that load shedding is costing SA industry in excess of R 2 billion per week.