It seems that people are learning to be more energy smart gradually. Conserving energy in our homes and driving is very worthwhile. Even though oil prices have come down to half of their peak in mid-2008, we know that they could go up again in a hurry.
My vehicle is a large Yukon, which is great for hauling things. Mileage is not so good, but I’ve cut back to making three trips to the office weekly whenever possible. The fuel budget has been helped by that strategy. If it weren’t for the load-carrying capacity I would look for a more fuel-efficient, smaller automobile.
We have tried to cut back on energy usage at home by installing extra insulation and double-pane windows. The news stories do have some influence on our way of living, hopefully making us think about ways we can cut back with all the energy talk.
Imagine the wasteful expenditure of energy in fighting a wildfire, with Diesel for fuel-guzzling choppers, planes and trucks. Even the evacuation of thousands of families is an unfortunate waste of gasoline. I found some discussion about wildfire prevention and other fire safety issues at the Minutemanfire site. It is amazing that homes could be destroyed even with tile roofs and a swath where the vegetation had been removed.
Rebuilding a fire-damaged home likewise utilizes energy that would otherwise be saved, a further link between fires and energy usage. We may not think about it much, but in fact there is a connection between fire prevention and conserving energy.
