We ate by candlelight last night, joining in with the millions who participated in Earth Hour. The little typists were keen, possessed with a sense of urgency. “We have to do this for the environment!”
I was glad to see their energy. I’ve been hanging out clothes, turning down the heat, flicking off lights, buying energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs, measuring kilowatt-hour usage, dumping second car, taking the bus and trying to reduce my carbon shoe size since the Kyoto Protocol.
I picked up many of these habits while living in Europe. But since returning to Canada I learned to keep my Kyoto habit in the closet. I’ve been overly sensitive to WTF looks and sneers. “You. Hang. Out. Clothes? You. Take. The. Bus? Weird.”
Strange how “normal” elsewhere is bizarre here. Even stranger because I used to think of Canada as such a environmentally aware country.
I still have a way to go. March trips south. Car ownership. Yesterday I bought snow peas from Guatemala.
I am convinced the world will reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, but it won’t be because of Earth Hour or environmental concerns. It will be due to the laws of supply and demand.
One of these days, it will be declared that we’ve reach the dreaded peak. And then stand by for the $200 per barrel of oil and the $300 per barrel.
It was only four years ago that I read a report from a credible oil and gas think tank predicting the $100-barrel of oil. It seemed impossible at the time, like some futuristic dystopia. The think tank predicted it would take 10 years to reach this point.
I’m not an armageddonist. There’s lots of sunshine, wind, tides, waves and geothermal energy supplies. (But not biofuels - they do more damage than good.)But that will take a massive shift in attitude and investment into innovation. You’re seeing this in Germany right now with massive investments into alternative energy R&D.
In my little neck of the woods, the visionless, small-minded politicians are talking about increasing the number of bridges and expanding road infrastructure to get more cars on an already crowded finite little peninsula on which my city is built.
They want to build a fossil-fuel dependent Atlantic Gateway mega-port to receive goods shipped from China - the long way round - and then truck and railroad them to Wal Marts in middle America. The myopia defies logic and beggars belief.
But Earth Hour is a good idea despite these people and because of them. Its aim is to get people thinking differently and maybe changing some of their habits. It’s a bottom-up movement.
It’s a good idea to do this voluntarily before we are forced to do it.
I think we may do lights out for at least an hour as a weekly event. I refuse to give into all the naysayers. If all of us make an effort, we actually can make a difference.
Well, technically I participated in this. I went over to a friend’s house for “bad movie night” last night. So the lights were on at her place, but all the lights were off at mine.
TEnacious, you are right. If everyone did even a little bit every day we could extend our supply of oil and gas for much longer.
BeckEye, doesn’t matter if you were there or not. Your lights were out so you participated. Now, then, what bad movies?
Gave up my car long ago and although I try to buy locally I must admit when it comes to fruit I cave. I need my grapes and my bananas and every other kind of tropical fruit.
I should also say I recognize not owning a car where I live is easy whereas if I were back on the prairies no doubt I would go back to my gas guzzling ways.
It was a triple feature: “Return to Horror High,” “Nail Gun Massacre,” and “Chopping Mall.” Of the three, I had actually seen “Chopping Mall” before and remembered it as being pretty bad in an awesomely ’80s way, so that was my suggestion. “Return to Horror High” made my brain hurt because it was like someone tried to make 4 movies at once. “Nail Gun Massacre” won the best worst movie award. It was HIGHlarious. I may actually have to post about this.
I’m so glad you mentioned that stupid third bridge idea. It’s as though politicians don’t understand that making the flow of traffic easier simply enables more traffic. Last summer in Dubai, I witnessed the ongoing construction of a 14 lane bridge to “ease” traffic. I predict that in a few years, the 14 lanes will be insufficient. The lack of forward thinking (e.g. let’s spend the ridiculous amount of money required for tunnels/bridges on a better public transport system, sidewalks everywhere, etc) is really disheartening.
I completely forgot about Earth hour, but I was having sushi with friends (with all lights off at home!), so I unwittingly did my part!
I just learned of this a couple of days earlier, and when we were eating in Memphis Saturday night the owner said she’d turn the lamp off over our booth in honor of it.
toccata, I’m impressed by anyone who gives up their car. This morning while out walking I counted the number of cars - including big SUVs and mini vans - with one driver. I counted 150 vehicles with one driver only and 15 with two people or more, usually children.
Nail Gun Massacre, Chopping mall. Oh BeckEye, please blog on those.
Deepti, like I’ve said before, we live in a Confederacy of Dunces.
Even if you unwittingly had the lights off, that counts. Good for you.
Bubs, in a restaurant? Excellent. Are you back yet?
I’ve been sans car for a little over 2 months now. On one hand, it’s nice not to have to worry about gas prices, insurance costs, finding parking, dealing with the jackasses that are on the road. On the other, there’s a certain spontaneity & freedom that comes with having a car, and riding the bus & arranging rides can be too much like work sometimes.
If I got rid of my car I would have to get up half an hour before I went to bed to get to work on time. Leaving my 21ha for a lot in town is not a ‘green’ sacrifice that I am prepared to make. I like growing my own vegetables, and if need be I could live self sufficiently out there and never leave, not an option on a city lot.
weekly or monthly makes sense to me.
Moxie, your bad luck has been good for the environment.
Dick, they talk about trading carbon credits. I suppose that’s one. You grow your own food so you don’t contribute to carbon footprinted groceries. But you live in the country and need a vehicle to work…
Chance, me too.
Hear, hear GT. Nice post.
Power down now by choice, or by necessity later.
I’m no petroleum geologist, I just play one online, and pay close attention to TheOilDrum.com. They’ve done some impressive work with publicly available information and made some scary conclusions:
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2563
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/3574
Arguing about the precise date of peak is a bit like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. But if the Ghawar field has reached 50% depletion, it’s time to put your hands in the air and scream as the fossil fuel roller coaster begins its descent.
FP, I’m now reading The Long Emergency by Jim Kunstler
Need I say more?
Gotta love the doomer porn. I’m on the library waiting list for Kunstler’s new novel. I expect it to be at least as disturbing as the Export Land Model:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Export_Land_Model
Aside: I think the CIBC economist Jeff Rubin is cribbing some of his energy commentary from TheOilDrum.com
I’m not filling my basement with cases of Manwich just yet, but I admit I have gazed longingly at high capacity fuel storage canisters…
The US economy is in trouble, along with their dollar, but how inelastic is demand for oil? We’re going to find out.
Interesting. Makes sense too. Do any of these models mention the oil sands? Canada’s incredibly lucky to be sitting on such a motherlode - and that should buffer us somewhat from the US downturn.
The irony is that alternative energy innovation will come from oil and gas companies that realize it’s soon going to cost 2 barrels just to get one out of the ground.
Knustler’s novel looks interesting too
The Tar Sands, largely owned and operated by the US, are expected to supply the US oil needs for the next 100 years…no mention of Canada. Their long term plans do not include a pipelie to eastern Canada.
The Chinese want in, but the US won’t let them…no mention of Canada.
Saw it on CBC
Yes, the poster named “Kebab” has done some interesting oil sands production modelling:
http://canada.theoildrum.com/story/2006/10/20/142436/03
I think the question is not so much the size of the non-conventional reserves, but whether they can be brought online quickly enough to offset declining fields like Ghawar.
What really freaks me out is that natural gas powers most bitumen extraction, and the conventional sources for NG are also in decline (ergo the new LNG termals in places like St. John and Cape Breton). In situ mini nukes have been suggested, but they will take time to build.
Granted, unemployed people don’t drive much, and shuttered factories don’t use power, so perhaps the US recession will hold prices down for a while. The next few years may be a good time to load up on energy shares… and toilet paper, and canned peas ..
The US is The Matrix, and Canada is the battery. Great to be sovereign heh?? Until we try and assert same …. it’ll be the ‘Plains of Abrams Tanks’ this time … with our southern cousins all logo’d up and sponsored by GM of course … like the PGA ?!?! Here comes Johnny with a gun in his hand … like moths to candles!!!!
Dick, really? As in, Canada has no sovereignty over its own natural resources?
FP, ok so oil sands extraction is such a case of needing two barrels (LNG)to get one bitumen-extracted equivalent.
Then we should see innovation into Alt. energy by oil and gas operators who want to max out the tar sands potential.
Tonardo. See dick’s comment. If the oil sands are owned and operated by another country, they won’t need to have a war.