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Your Opinion: Remembering our energy past key to energy future Our poor memories of history often makes us unable to see the present clearly. Does anyone remember the "oil crisis" of the 1970s? Michael Tanzer pointed out in his book The Energy Crisis in 1974 that the rapid rise in the price of petroleum and the threatened scarcities in the devel- oped world of the time were not only avoidable, but contrived. He warned that the international oil cartel's contrived "crisis" would lead us to either war or an economic downtum: ",.. the most likely 'solu- tions' to the international oil problem would be either inter- vention by the developed coun- tries in the Middle East (includ- ing possible use of armed force) to drive down the price of oil, or an international depression which by reducing sharply the demand for oil would help offset the impact of oil price increas- es." Tanzer's predictions turned out to be partially right. We've seen BOTH the use of force in the Middle East AND an eco- nomic downturn. The interven- tfons "in the Middle East haven't driven down oil prices, but did protect the source of supply. Hunter Lovins, the President of the Rocky Mountain Institute in Colorado, told a Thunder Bay conference recently that this intervention in the Persian Gulf has cost North Americans dear- ly: ". . if you count the cost of maintaining forces over there (in the Persian Gulf), a-barrel of oil costs something like a hundred dollars (U.S.). It seems we haven't learned anything from ITS _ The Energy Crisis of the 1970s and 1980s also launched a rash of energy conservation pro- grams. Remember the grants Ottawa handed out to insulate, or convert your oil furnace? Higher fuel efficiency standards were legislated for vehicles, car pools were encouraged, and the Canadian government agreed to oil and gas exploration in envi- ronmentally sensitive Arctic areas. The United States built the Alaska Pipeline; Texas, Alberta and other long-standing petroleum producing areas "'dis- covered" that their reserves, par- ticularly of natural gas, were enough to keep us supplied well beyond the 21st Century. The NORTHERN INSIGHTS by Larry Sanders world price of oil fell, eventual- ly levelling off to the point where inflation really hasn't been an issue in industrialized countries since 1986. Lovins pointed out. that before the "energy crisis" of the 1980s ended, Americans did make some changes. "During 1973-86, the United States cut its energy intensity economy by a fourth, its oil and gas intensity by a third. Oil imports fell from 46 per cent of consumption in 1977 to 28 per cent five years later. By 1985, Persian Gulf oil imports were only a tenth of their 1979 peak. So if we're concerned about oil vulerability, balance of payments, we already know that we can do something about it, because we did in the 1980s. "The U.S. household vehicle fleet now averages 19 miles per (US) gallon. Improving that to 22 miles per gallon could dis- place all of the oil that the U.S. imported for Iraq and Kuwait prior to the war. Increasing the vehicle fleet average by another ten miles per gallon would dis- place all of the oil that t we imported for the Persian Gulf. Did we put our kids in half a mile per gallon tanks because we failed to put them in 32 miles per gallon cars?" Lovins was speaking to Energy Expo '92: Energy as and Economic Development Tool, a gathering of over 140 economic development professionals and energy entrepreneurs from Northern Ontario. She pointed out that utilities have gone through a change in thinking, as electricity has turned out to be too costly to maintain as the energy foundation of the North economy. "Utilities used to promote the sale of electricity as a form of economic development. They're now realizing that the savings of IN MEMORIAM In memory of Leo Lalonde Nov. 11, 1989. Dearest Dad: Gone you are ust - 7 hear you laughing When the bids ane performing at thetr worst, Comforting when T'm feeling down, and helping when 7 ash. Bat my heart still aches to see the beautiful face of the father 7 loved se very much. Forever Remembered, Pairlette Cam & Cirle | electricity is one of the most powerful economic develop- ment tools available to them. If all Americans saved electricity as quickly and cheaply as the customers of Southern California Edison Company did in the mid-1980s, the U.S. economy could grow by several per cent per year, yet total electric use would fall. Achieving those savings would cost the utilities less than 10 per cent as much as building new power plants." Launched by Lovins' opening keynote address, the conference examined subjects such as future energy technologies, small hydro development and the eco- nomics of generating electricity from natural gas, wood waste, or - Sunlight. The overall message was that economic renewal at the com- munity level has to include ener- gy conservation programs, and that "small is beautiful" is the only way developments will happen in the future. Energy solutions which produce eco- nomic spin-offs are not glam- orous, or startlingly new: insula- tion, weather-stripping, energy efficient lighting, high efficiency electric motors, replacing old refrigerators and air condition- ers. Martin Oosterveld, an engi- neering professor from Lakehead University, pointed out that it makes good economic sense to invest in energy conser- continued on page 7 'om 7 > stor ree Vow eure Page 5, Tuesda , November 10, 1992 IMPORTANT NOTICE IF YOU ARE OR HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF SEXUAL ABUSE THE FOLLOWING AGENCIES CAN OFFER HELP TO YOU OR THOSE YOU CARE ABOUT. Family & Children's Services...............00000 887-3035 North of Superior Programs or 1-800-465-3905 887-2632 or 886-2282 Dilico Ojibway Child & Family Services 887-2514 or 1-800-465-3985 Integrated Services for Northern Children 886-2282 Thunder Bay District Health Unit 887-3031 Ontario Provincial Police Red Rock Police Department Lake Helen Band Family Support Office 887-2637 886-2235 887-2309 Rocky Bay Band Family Support Office 885-3204 **Sponsored by Nipigon-Red Rock Area Child Sexual Abuse Committee and The Nipigon Red Rock Gazette " -- our hel ap eople are spen time in ee nla? Since its modest beginnings by local farmers in the 1950s, Vacationland Dairy Limited of Kenora has been steadily building a state of the art dairy operation in northwestern Ontario providing fresh, quality products throughout the region. "The FedNor contribution is much appreciated," says Diane Pochailo, Vacationland's General Manager. "It really helped us through the expansion of our facility." Since 1987, FedNor has provided guidance and financial assistance to thousands of enterprising Northern Ontarians and has helped to create or maintain more than 3000 jobs. The Honourable Tom Hockin Minister of State Smail Businesses, Tourism and FedNor p, additional Northern Leadership for Northern Success. RedNossS 2 _ Suite 209, 710 Victoria Avenue East Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 5P7 1-800-465-6870 or (807) 623-4436