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have stressed development of new
supplíes to the virtual exclusion of
all
else. The same mentalíty has per–
sisted in the higher echelons of busi–
ness and industry. To date, little has
been said or done aboul the real
causal factors iovolved in the energy
crisis: namely. inefficiency. greed
and a woeful lack of reasonable
conservat ion measures.
Every ycar the United States
wastes
more fue! than is consumed
by two-thirds of the rest of human–
ity. Fully
one-ha!f
of the nation's
energy goes up in smoke. On a per
ca pita
basis its people use approximately
50 percent more energy than do the
people of Sweden. who cnjoy a com–
parable standard of living.
One of the primary energy guz–
zlc rs is the typical rcsidential and
commercial building. Many. con–
structed to impress with stunning
glass exteriors, are virtual heat
sievcs. Energy-conscious design has
been so lacking that air-condi–
tioning units often oper&te to
counteract heat generated by exces–
sive lighting. Permanently closed
windows in buildings also boost
heating and air-conditioning bilis
roughly 30 percent.
The other major arca of potential
savings in America's energy-in–
flated society centers around her
primary means of transportation:
the automobile. It's not that the au–
tomobíle per se ís all that ineffi–
cient. lt's just that many of the cars
now operating in thc United States
are. In other countries such as Ger–
many. Japan, Swcden and France.
car manufacturers tend to concen–
trate on fulfilling practica! trans–
portation needs.
r
n Detroit that
concept was oftcn incidental to the
process. Of course unnecessary
weight, size and options had their
"advantage"- highcr profits for the
manufacturer. And many Ameri–
cans. apparently oblivious to the
lessons of the Arab oil embargo.
have added precious fue! to the fire
The
PLAIN TRUTH March 1978
by contínuíng to demand gas-guz–
zlíng autos.
In recent years most American
auto manufacturcrs. prodded by
congressional mandate. have taken
positíve steps toward improving
fue! economy and reducing weight
in their fieets. The big three and
American Motors all introduced ex–
tensíve down-sizing into their
1978
Oeets. Oldsmobile carne out with
the first American diese!, and both
Ford and Chrysler unveiled new
subcompacts pattcrned after popu–
lar European and Japanese ímport
models. But whatcver potential fue!
savings are
available from the manufacture of
more efficient cars may ultimately
be lost as Detroit now seems ready
to transfer its traditional penchant
for glamour, inefficiency and higher
horsepower into a burgeoning truck
and van market. The upshot is that
statutory míleagc standards for pas–
senger sedans may ultimately be
frustrated by the "Let's go truck–
ing'' mentality that seems to be be–
coming increasíngly popular.
The automobile and the residen–
tia! or commercial building are
only two of the many examples of
energy waste in American society.
Numerous others could be cited.
Unfortunately. far too few have
been seriously addressed to date.
Most plans for solving the energy
crisis have invariably emphasized
the need for expanding supply.
Few have stressed thc other side of
the energy coin- conservation. In
the long run much more can be ac–
complished by the latter alterna–
tive. Below are a number of
examples.
1) Building construction and
retrofitting.
Fue! costs for space
heatíng and cooling could be cut 40
to 60 percent if each house were
retrofitted with the following:
• Six inches or more of insula–
tion in the attic. This alone would
cut fuel consumption sorne 30 per–
cent and pay for itself in two years.
• Wall and ftoor insulatíon.
• Simple caulkíng and weather–
stripping. Thís could save up to 10
percent on fue!.
• Storm windows. They are ex–
pensive initially, but will pay for
themselves in
3
to
15
years.
• Optimum window location and
size to utílize direct heat from the
sun.
• Double-glazed windows.
• Window-shading devices and
wider eaves.
• Solar space- and water-heating
equipment.
None of the above measures has
to wait for the development of ex–
pensive technology. New homes re–
cently buílt in Davis, California,
incorporate many of the above en-
ergy-saving features, in–
cluding solar
he a
t.
Their builder csti–
mates that the addi–
tional construction costs of
energy conservation featurcs
will be paid for in eight to ten
years by lowered fuel costs.
And there's nothing marginal
about the energy saving in–
volved. The American Institute
of Architects cstimates that if
existíng structurcs were retro–
filled and new construction
were properly designed, the
United States could recoup the
equivalent of 12 million barreis
of oil a day by
1990- 1
Y2 times thc
nation's present import require–
mcnts. Savings derived from en–
ergy-efficient construction of new
buildings during the same period
would alone excced the total en–
ergy output expected to be recov–
ered from the Alaskan North Slopc.
2) Transform the automobile
into a practica! means of trans–
portation.
For starters place an
absolute upper limit of 100 horse–
power and 3300 pounds body
weight on any passenger automo–
bile. Thís shouldn't cramp any–
body's style exccpt possibly ovcrly
profit-conscious automakers and
sorne consumers who think they
have to drive down the highway in
a mobíle living room. This doesn't
mean every car has to be in the
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