It’s official: The Meltdown is as reliable as AT&T, which experienced nationwide service outages for most of Thursday, but we’re more reliable than the Alabama Supreme Court. We’re coming to you this Friday morning rather than our usual Thursday afternoon due to some technical issues that I think happened because Mercury is in Pisces. Or whatever.
While losing internet and cell service may seem like a mild inconvenience to most of us, there are often severe consequences. You may not be able to call friends, family, or certain services in an emergency. Telehealth medical providers become useless and even in-person visits to the hospital could be cancelled if your charts cannot be accessed. You also won’t be able to read this newsletter or other great Reckon stories.
But what about when traditional utilities like electricity, drinking water, natural gas, wastewater and trash collection fail?
The consequences are surprisingly broad, affecting everything from businesses and emergency services to public health and the environment. These disruptions can cause serious illnesses and even fatalities, trigger public health crises, and exacerbate individual mental health issues. They can even elevate crime rates and impede local economies. Some repercussions are so unexpected that they’re only just being discovered.
During the years-long water contamination crisis in Jackson, Miss., researchers noted a 10% increase in school absence rates after a drinking water alert was sent to residents, according to a 2023 Brown University study.
“These findings show how chronic exposure to contaminated water over time can negatively affect the trajectory of a child’s life,” said lead author Erica Walker, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Brown.
And yet, research shows that utilities are less reliable and more expensive than ever.
This week in The Meltdown, I’m jumping, for now, ankle-deep into the complex world of utilities ahead of a joint March 13 panel between
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