So far in this newsletter I’ve tried to keep things positive, focusing on things we can all do to help. You may have noticed that almost all of them just happen to be what I would term “no brainers.” Electric cars, heat pumps, chasing gas leaks, switching to wind and solar electricity — they all save us money and make our lives healthier.
I think that anyone still reading these missives — those who haven’t hit the unsubscribe button — believes that climate change is real, dangerous and needs to be addressed. You are the kind of people willing to chip in and help.
I have been amazed and heartened by how far our no brainer options can get us towards the necessary greenhouse gas reductions. We should thank our lucky stars that wind, solar and battery technologies have matured in the nick of time. Still, some of our favorite pursuits are not susceptible to the “no pain” approach. Newsletter #36
The idea of calling for sacrifice has been taboo in the US since Jimmy Carter recommended wearing sweaters during the winter. It’s not an accident that there is not the slightest call for sacrifice, at least not by voters, in the three critical climate bills that the Biden administration has achieved. But there are times, say when faced with an existential threat, that sacrifice may be required. Winston Churchill didn’t rally Londoners during the Blitz with offers of tax cuts.
In the US, the general assumption is that we should be able to continue our profligate lifestyle, in spite of the fact that our per capita energy consumption is nearly 4 times the global average. We can theoretically do this with renewable sources, but it will never happen — too much of the country would need to be covered with solar panels and wind turbines. Perhaps it would be better if we were able to bring our consumption more in line other first world countries, say Germany or Great Britain. Per Capita Energy Consumption
Why is US energy consumption so high?
Many apologist will say “America is a big country — we need to drive a lot.” But there are lots of other, more addressable reasons:
An attitude of consumption where waste = status. Using a clothes drier is cool, clothes lines are lower class
Poor housing insulation standards, particularly in hot regions.
A preference for SUVs in place of more efficient passenger cars.
Low taxes on fossil fuel.
Marketing by business to convince consumers to consume more.
Interference of big oil in political decision making.
Unnecessarily high levels of air conditioning in buildings.
Addressing these issues is not going to be popular — it smells of sacrifice!
Federal regulations would help.
Raising taxes on fossil fuels would be a huge step. Among developed countries, only Mexico has a lower gas tax than the US, and we pay about one quarter of the average rate of OECD countries. It’s hard to see Americans lobbying their government for higher gas taxes, and given the divisions in Washington, even harder to imagine our lawmakers prescribing such bitter medicine.
Tightening the regulations that have fostered the SUV boom in this country seems within reach, provided it is tucked quietly into some other bill. Setting more reasonable standards for heating and cooling Federal buildings shouldn’t be hard, particularly if it is done gradually.
State regulations, as well,
State governments, at least some of them, could modestly increase fuel taxes, building air conditioning standards, and insulation requirements for new buildings. In the absence of federal reform, they could adopt California’s stricter auto mileage standards.
Then there is shaming!
We find ourselves living in a time that has enshrined freedom of choice over the public good, something which would have appalled the founding fathers. With freedom comes responsibility. Given the existential threat facing us, some of our behaviors should now be considered shameful — mistakes from a more innocent age . Excessive private jet travel, large high speed yachts, gas guzzling cars, excessive consumption — all should be considered targets.
Things you can do:
Public opinion can play a valuable role in cracking the toughest nuts in the above list, and is crucial for the areas that can’t, or won’t, be addressed by corporate or government means.
When it comes to rallying people to accept sacrifice, leadership is crucial. Be a leader in your family.
Write to the editor of your local paper decrying excessive consumption and waste. Almost every town paper has articles featuring trash disposal problems — a perfect occasion to point out the connection.
Many periodicals feature ads for wasteful products. Write a letter pointing out how tone deaf this is in our present situation.
Be the first to install a clothesline in your neighborhood.
Restaurants in particular like to set their AC thermostats so low that it is necessary to wear a sweater when dining in the hottest weather. Complain.
Complain also about the recent restaurant practice of installing gas heaters in outdoor seating areas. Heating the outdoors!! What would your grandparents say?!
Glimmers of hope.
There is some evidence that people want to help, but just need to be asked. Perhaps you have heard about the great response when California utilities asked customers to postpone energy intensive activities during a heat wave that threatened to shut down their electrical grid?
Thanks for reading,
Doug Hylan, Brooklin, Maine
“Owing to past neglect, in the face of the plainest warnings, we have now entered upon a period of danger … The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences … We cannot avoid this period; we are in it now.” Winston Churchill
Glad you didn't quit the newsletter biz, Doug. As Churchill says, "We cannot avoid this period; we are in it now," is right on the money. Another keeper to go along with that comment is a quote I have always liked by poet/Zen master Gary Snyder: "Never own anything you wouldn't leave out in the rain."