The Los Angeles Times recently published an article exploring the idea of accepting occasional electrical grid blackouts as a potential sacrifice in the fight against climate change, igniting a firestorm of criticism on social media. The article's author, Sammy Roth, questioned whether maintaining uninterrupted power or addressing the climate crisis should take precedence.

This discussion stemmed from a legal battle between the Sierra Club and the city of Glendale, California, regarding the continued operation of a gas-fired power plant. Glendale argues the plant is essential to prevent blackouts for its residents. The Times framed this as a debate over acceptable levels of blackout risk, suggesting society's expectations might need to shift to avert climate catastrophe.

The article mentioned California's vulnerability to blackouts due to its transition to renewable energy. Roth posed a question on Twitter, asking if embracing more blackouts in the near future could accelerate the shift away from gas and save money. The overwhelming response rejected the notion of increased power outages, citing concerns beyond mere inconvenience.

Experts quoted in the piece emphasized the life-or-death consequences of blackouts. Aura Vasquez, a former Los Angeles Department of Water and Power board member, stated that fatalities occur with every outage. John Moura of the North American Electric Reliability Corp. echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that blackouts are about preserving lives.

Despite these concerns, Roth suggested that tackling climate change necessitates sacrifices, potentially including reduced driving, dietary changes, acceptance of large-scale solar farms, and higher costs for rooftop solar panels. He pondered whether accepting more blackouts should be added to this list, acknowledging it might be an unavoidable consequence.

The article sparked widespread condemnation online. Critics pointed out the irony of net-zero policies contributing to grid instability and blackouts. Some labeled the article as "peak climate idiocy" and accused the LA Times of engaging in a propaganda campaign to normalize the idea of frequent power outages. Others expressed disbelief and concern over the suggestion.