Don't forget the 'C' word

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Don't forget the 'C' word

From the Journal Sentinel Last Updated: March 22, 2001

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham covered a lot of ground and made some excellent points in a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Monday. On the same day that California was again experiencing rolling blackouts, Abraham reported that the entire nation faces a major energy supply crisis over the next 20 years and that only a comprehensive national policy can meet that crisis.

He's right on the big picture, of course, and he's right in some of the details. The United States does need a more diversified supply of energy and it needs to rely less on foreign sources of that supply. The nation also needs to upgrade its energy infrastructure, build more power plants (and at least debate building nuclear power plants) and continue researching alternative sources of energy.

But one detail that did not stand out in Abraham's speech was the idea that perhaps the nation's consumers could reduce their energy demands a little. Yes, Abraham did use the big "C" word - conservation - in his speech, but he gave it short shrift, mentioning conservation policies only in passing.

Abraham made a major point of the fact that demand for natural gas, electricity and oil is expected to continue to climb in the coming decades, as one would expect in a modern, growing economy. But there are things that can be done - from improving automobile tires and thus increasing gas mileage to that old cliche of turning off unneeded lights - that could reduce that demand.

During the oil crises of the 1970s - a time when the nation imported 36% of its oil, compared with 54% today - there was a lot of talk about wearing extra sweaters and cutting back on the number of trips to the local grocery store in the family wagon.

Today, folks are taking the SUV to the mall while they leave their computers on at home. (Some experts say computers account for 8% to 13% of electricity demand). At least some of that demand would seem to be unnecessary.

Yes, improve the supply side of the energy equation. Diversify the nation's energy sources; at least talk about development of the nation's domestic resources and more nuclear plants; improve the transmission lines; build solar panels and wind farms and fuel cells. But any national policy must also include a strong emphasis on conservation - in effect, a slowing in the rate of the growth of demand.

Appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on March 23, 2001.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/editorials/mar01/energy-edit032201.asp

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), March 23, 2001

Answers

We have forgotten what efficiency is. I remember an OT lecture from '78. He said that a railroad wheel is good for 2,000,000 miles. Then it gets reconditioned and is good for another 1,000,000. We have lost the trains and trolleys.

We need to remember what works.

-- John littmann (LITTMANNJOHNTL@AOL.COM), March 23, 2001.


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