Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Living in community and energy crises

[Morrison, Robert (romorris]

        On Wed, 10 Nov 1999, Lee Irwin <leeirwin [at] ari.net> wrote:
        > Subject: Re: Advantages of Community

        > Zev wrote, in part:

        >>"In 1973 I was 15 years old, and I remember quite clearly the so
called
        >>^Energy Crisis.^  I remember waiting in long lines to fill my one
gallon
        >>tank on my Honda 90 motorcycle!

        >>What did we learn from that time?  It seems to me that all we
really
        >>learned, was how to put our own gas into our cars [due to a rapid
changeover to self service gas
        >> stations in that time frame] and the much missed loss of the
little bell which rang every tenth gallon.

        >>That experience of 1973-4 was caused by a 7% reduction in
available
        >>fuels.  What do you think it would be like if something caused a
10% or
        >>20% or 30% percent reduction in supplies?"<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

           Answer: A 10% shortfall in petroleum-based fuels today would be
catastrophic.
          I remember the 1973-74 energy crisis well. I was living on my own
at the time and totally dependent on cars for transportation, as was most of
the population of New England at that time. We canceled all discetionary
travel; it was a challenge simply to get enough gas to meet our essential
needs.  
          What did we learn from this experience, and from the similar but
less severe crisis in 1979? We changed a few habits, but most of these
changes didn't "stick" after the crisis blew over (in the view of most of
the public) in the early 80's. 
          On the 25th anniversary of the oil embargo a year ago, I didn't
see or hear anything about it in the media. No listings of programs in TV
Guide. Nothing in the local papers. I asked my father to keep his eyes and
ears open, and he didn't see or hear anything either. I think this says a
lot. Most crises of this magnitude get a lot of play in the media when the
25th anniversary rolls around.
          What does this have to do with cohousing? A lot. A few months ago
there was a discussion on the list about how living in cohousing saves
energy. I won't repeat the details here, but cohousing saves a lot of energy
even if people don't make an extraordinary effort to conserve.
          The energy crisis is still here, it is just hidden at the moment.

        Bob Morrison
        Salem, NH