"To read a paper book is another experience: you can do it on a ship, on the branch of a tree, on your bed, even if there is a blackout," was once said by Umberto Eco, an Italian Novelist. In this quote, he was explaining the adventures of reading, and how books are always available to us, whether we are ".on a ship, on the branch of a tree," etc. When he says "even if there is a blackout", he is referring to an emotional blackout, but this phrase can also be used in literal context. Most people can relate to a short power outage. These are usually caused by weather that is less than favorable. Power outages only last a few hours, so instead of watching TV, or using any other device that requires electricity, a homeowner might be required to read a book, or find an alternative source of entertainment. Other inconveniences include the inability to use various items such as air conditioning/heat and a refrigerator. It usually isn't a major problem, in these cases, because within a matter of hours the power comes back on. This is not the case, as of March, in South Africa, where they were suffering from widespread blackouts (CNN). These blackouts were a problem because they stopped production of certain goods, delayed the construction of a new coal station even further, and they made South Africans question their relationship with their electricity companies.
Early March, in South Africa, there were nearly seven days of widespread blackouts throughout most of the country, causing a serious impact on the daily lives of many citizens. The country had its wettest March in 17 years, having three times as much rain as an average month. The rain caused an issue when it came to the transportation and mining of coal (Bloomberg). Eskom, the company that provides 95% of South Africa's power, had no choice but to execute rolling blackouts throughout the Nation. Eskom calls the power outages "load shedding," cutting power in different places in the area.