Most people have enough sense not to toss burning objects into a field of tinder-dry cheat grass. They know not to spit to the south when the wind kicks up in advance of a winter storm.

These are the little allowances folks make for weather conditions along the Wasatch Front. Now they need to add two more: During hot summer days, don't waste electricity or drive alone to work.This isn't about the fight over whether to build a new substation in the Dimple Dell area of Sandy. Nor is it about the federal government's warnings that it intends to slap restrictions on the state if air pollution reaches certain levels.

This has to do with basic common sense at a time when more and more people are sharing Utah's resources. People need to conserve energy because it can avert the discomfort of a general power failure. And they need to share rides or hop on a bus because it makes hot, stagnant air easier to breathe.

No one knows yet what caused the outage that affected several Western states last week. Officials can say only that they linked it to a transmission line in Wyoming. But the near-record heat of that day likely was more than mere coincidence.

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The link was a little more clear later in the week when several Salt Lake neighborhoods went dark during midday. Too many air conditioners were working too hard in 100-degree heat. Anyone who decided to do a load of wash or begin cooking a meal just made matters that much worse.

These problems tend to compound. In West Jordan, for example, a power failure shut down pumps that bring water from wells to a reservoir. One thing led to another, and the city had to cancel its Fourth of July fireworks.

Gluttony never is pretty. It ignores the fact that someone else will go hungry to satisfy the demand.

Use common sense. Save the washing for the cooler hours. Take it easy on the cooking, and set the thermostat a little higher. Then, ask your neighbors if they want a ride. It's all just part of adjusting to weather, and it beats spitting into the wind.

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