David Peat

Re-envisioning the Planet 181and heat our offices, homes, and shopping centers, while forgettingthat our grandchildren may not enjoy such luxuries.Half a century ago nuclear power—fission power—was hailed asthe new energy source of the future. But a series of nuclear accidentshave made people cautious about its safety. Of course, it is possible todesign progressively more fail-safe systems in anticipation of various“worst case scenarios,” but this does not always reassure the public.Environmentalists, for their part, have proposed solar heating,wind power, and tidal power. These may help to augment other powersources but for many countries they will never provide a universal solution.Solar power may work well in Africa but it is less attractive inCanada and the northern United States. Tidal power can supply a considerableamount of energy in a number of places in the world but it ishardly practical in Switzerland! The combustion of biomass (for example,burning wood, or converting biomaterials into alcohol or methane)is another possibility. Yet, as the demand for food increases, thereis going to be competition for land use.The 1980s saw a big energy crunch. Oil prices rose and we realizedthat the world could be held at ransom by the oil-producing nations.The answer at the time was “conservation.” But rather than makingpersonal sacrifices in order to consume less energy, we preferred conservationwithout pain or personal inconvenience and, wherever possible,the help of a government grant. So we reduced our heating billswith insulation and weather stripping. Car manufacturers, for theirpart, came up with smaller models and more efficient engines thatwould continue to satisfy our desire for the automobile as a means offantasy and escape.In the end, this exercise in conservation was not totally painless.We learned that once a house is totally sealed against cold weather, airdoes not circulate so well. Radon gas coming up from the earth can betrapped in a house, along with the vapors produced by glues, plastics,paints, sealants, and, for example, Formica insulation. As a result, whilewe saved a little on our fuel bills we paid the price with allergies anddiseases of the immune system.When it comes to energy conservation there is no gain without alittle pain. People have to realize that it is indeed possible to use less