One of my daily French podcasts mentioned the goal of the French government to reduce energy use 10% by 2024 and 40% by 2050. The following laws were put in place last month:
- No store or business may operate air conditioning while an outside door is open
- No store or business may cool below 26 deg C (78.8 deg F) or heat above 19 deg C (66.2 deg F)
- No lights are allowed to be illuminated from 1-6 am.
- The speed limit on highways has been decreased from 130 to 120 km/hr (78 to 72 mph). The limit on rural roads had already been decreased by from 90 to 80 km/hr (50 mph).
- Individuals are strongly encouraged to observe the same restrictions (though not legally bound) and are encouraged to do the following:
- Take showers rather than baths
- Minimize use of lights
- Optimize use of dishwashers and washing machines (i.e. use when full)
How do you think these measures and recommendations would go over in the USA? Would there be howls of outrage and indignation? Would there be cries of ‘big brother’ and ‘police state’? Would people vow to oppose these restrictions in the name of freedom?
The answer is yes. Americans don’t like to be told what to do. Don’t tell us we can’t buy a gas-guzzling SUV or pickup truck. Don’t tell us we need to recycle. Don’t tell us we can’t use a leaf gas blower in our yard. Don’t tell us we can’t put our A/C or our heat at 72 degrees.
The world is in a climate crisis. The effects of global warming are already quite significant and promise to increase in severity year by year. We must face the fact that the earth is not simply our playground, but a living organism to which we must adapt our behavior.
The USA is by far the largest user of energy per capita in the world. The table below shows the per capita total energy usage (in kWh) as well as oil/gas usage (in barrels) for the major industrialized countries. We use almost twice the amount of energy per capita as any other country.
Most Americans seem to believe that they should be free to buy anything they want and use any amount of energy or water as long as they can afford it. Occasionally, we are willing to observe water restrictions during a local drought, but I am doubtful that support for such restrictions could be sustained over a longer term as a general commitment to water conservation.
We Americans can be very generous in a crisis, but we chafe at any longer-term sacrifices for the common good. We are suspicious of global efforts to reduce hydrocarbon emissions and have eschewed a leadership role in the fight against global warming.
With our wealth and power, we may be able to perpetuate this bunker mentality for some years to come and mitigate some of the disastrous effects that have already been visited upon this ailing planet. But we are in the wrong on this issue and we have already lost a great deal credibility on the world stage because of our stubborn refusal to act with any real commitment. A day will come when we will be forced to recognize that social responsibility and obligations to the common good must ultimately trump some aspects of personal freedom.
