Panama's Energy Crisis

While I was trying yesterday to make my water even more drinkable, the rest of Panama was just looking for water, period.

The rainy season generally starts in mid-April, and we had a few days there where it did rain every day. But then it stopped, and it's only been back once or twice.

A good chunk of the country's power runs on water, so the government declared a national crisis and is closing the schools and universities for three days to reduce use of electricity in an effort to avoid a nation-wide rationing order.

Meanwhile, the malls and casinos will be open as usual.

I did read that they would have some air conditioning restrictions, and a friend pointed out that if every restaurant, mall, and other place of business would just raise the temperature by a few degrees, they would save a lot of power and actually make those place more comfortable. (When you go from the heat outside to a majorly air conditioned store or restaurant, it feels so cold.)

But still. Close the schools -- many of which aren't that well-equipped and possibly don't even have air conditioning units -- and leave the malls open for business? This display of priorities isn't necessarily surprising, but it's disheartening. It's sadder yet to realize that it would probably go down this way no matter what country you're in -- the economy is nothing to mess with, after all.

Meanwhile, farmers and ranchers are having some trouble, too -- cows are dying, crops aren't being planted.

So, we're taking extra care to turn off our fans and lights (which we do pretty well anyway, just to avoid high electric bills), and willing the rain to come.