Originally Posted By: James_Van_Artsdalen
... being in a rural area and having nothing to protect life-critical systems is just as dumb as the guy getting stuck out there, perhaps moreso.


With all respect, that is a very tricky argument. Remote, northern communities are not flush with cash. The cost of living is extremely high. Many people in those areas live what is more-or-less a subsistence lifestyle and have few opportunities to change their situation. Infrastructure is barely adequate at its best.

The long-term causes and long-term solutions relating to their many deep challenges are outside the scope of this forum. Suffice it to say that these challenges exist, and have bearing on this discussion.

The fact remains that by chopping down a remote power line you are setting in motion a chain of potentially serious events. You cannot adequately control nor anticipate the effects on other, innocent people. Like the amputation of a limb, it is not a decision to be made lightly.