1973: Sorry, Out of Gas
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.22.07
In 1979, Jimmy Carter installed solar panels on the roof of the White House to heat water and save energy; a few years later Ronald Reagan removed them, insisting that there was energy enough for all. Reagan then presided over the start of what architecture critic Chris Hume calls "America's collective descent into amnesia."
We have forgotten how bad it was when OPEC turned off the taps in October, 1973. Hume reminds us that oil shot from $ 2.59 a barrel to a shocking $11.65. "The result was pandemonium: In Europe, driving was banned on Sundays; in North America, long lineups at filling stations degenerated into free-for-alls. Leaders went on television to address nervous nations alarmed that their very way of life was at stake."
Now the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal has mounted a provocative exhibition that revisits that period of panic.
From the CCA: "This major exhibition is the first to study the architectural innovation spurred by the 1973 oil crisis, when the value of oil increased exponentially and triggered economic, political, and social upheaval across the world. Featuring over 350 objects including architectural drawings, photographs, books and pamphlets, archival television footage, and historical artifacts, the exhibition maps the global response to the shortage and its relevance to architecture today."
The Curator and CCA Director told Chris Hume of the Star: "The future is the past. Thirty-five years ago, we faced the same problems as today. It's scary. The difference is that today we can't respond as we did by saying we'll go back to the old days. We're closer to a critical point. Oil is a limited resource. We're also facing an environmental crisis now. It's necessary but not sufficient to develop new techniques. We have to reconsider our way of life and establish new priorities."
Most crucially, Zardini points out, the solution depends "on a cultural shift, not a technological one." ::CCA, Christopher Hume in ::The Star
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I really feel bad that we didn't listen to Jimmy Carter back then.
I was taught that after you reach a certain level of maturity, it takes a SEE (Significant Emotional Event) for a person to change their way of doing what they do. Here's to praying that enough people have that SEE before it gets too bad.
Lo and behold, Chavez is talking about turning off the spigot again. Last time, oil increased more than 300 percent. We're at $100 per barrel now. Where do you think it would go this time? We have to lessen our dependence on foreign oil.
Perhaps the SEE will be when OPEC decides to use the EURO as the currency base to the oil price rather than the ol' greenback! The day that happens - expect a giant whiplash in the way we see dyno-juice... I hope. More likely what will happen is we'll point fingers somewhere else rather than our dependency... it's always easier that way.
Oil will be at over $100/barrel in the next few months and Chavez is not the problem (even though he is one step from communism). The problem is our corrupt governments of the west. US, Canada, Britain. They all are puppeteered by the big oil and the invisbles behind the "private federal reserve". When the poor and middle class get squeezed the rich gobble up all the estates and businesses via bankruptcies and foreclosures. This is what is happening. Alternative energies such as solar and wind, geothermal controlled by each resident or local governemtns is our best hope for independence from tyranny abroad and to protect us from our own government. A diverse energy portfolio. The United States was built on the true virtues of democracy but our civil freedoms are slowly being taken away. So put up solar panels, fight and petition our congress people who take a back seat to energy policies. I sign petitions daily.
The problem with oil will be flow rates, not reserves or corrupt governments.
Solar powered cars, even with 40% efficient multi-junction cells, simply do not have significant enough power density for motive applications.
The focus should be BEVs powered by stationary solar.
"Perhaps the SEE will be when OPEC decides to use the EURO as the currency base to the oil price rather than the ol' greenback!"
Look at the price of oil in Euro's and the price of oil in Dollars, and it appears that is already to an extent going on.
Demand has gone up in many countries, which adds to the price increases.
Dont get me wrong with what i am about to say but.... I wish we would wake up tomorrow and oil was 300 a barrel and gas was 8.00 a gallon. Why? It would be just the slap in the face America needs to wake us up and get off our butts...A reality check to our lazy indifferent leaders in the white house and those that are part of the problem and not part of the solution to really DO something to break us of our oil addiction
This little by little upward creep of prices we adjust to and learn to factor into our budget I pray that oil prices dont spike as it would really hurt the people that cant afford the increase the most and it would cause massive disruption of all worlld economies.. but I hope you see my point. Our leaders wont be inclinded to do anything drastic till they would suffer also
I wish we would wake up tomorrow and oil was 300 a barrel and gas was 8.00 a gallon.
I'll take 10 dollars per gallon and 10 dollars per barrel. Best of both worlds.
Well just like Reagen just to take of the solar panels so we have to pay to heat the white house water remember it comes out of our taxes duhhhh sounds like our president now
I wonder what Reagan did with those solar panels? I'll take 'em!
Corrupt Governments (or one could say "ignorant" ones, many of our own past administrations inc.) ARE indeed and always have been a huge part of the problem, I have to go with Anonymous on that one. Power and greed have prevented the mainstream masses from getting the true information and facts, have kept healthy things like organic products off shelves for years, have derided and discredited alternative thinkers (using names like "granola people" and "hippies" to describe us, as if these were really insults to us, the dolts.) and have kept alternative cars down and out of the public domain as any options. I remember seeing a senator stand up over ten years ago before the senate with a picture of a "smart" car saying, "we can't let Americans be seen driving these" as they banned them from being allowed to be imported into the country. Well, the "hippies and granola people" are seeing things come around, aren't they.
The exhibition website is up for a 2008 Webby Award! - show your support of the project and its ideas by voting at
http://pv.webbyawards.com
and look for Sorry Out of Gas in the category: Website - Cultural Institution.