The N&R runs part three of its (sure to be) award-winning series on peal oil, which the paper’s editorialists describe as a wake-up call. It woke me up, alright; woke me up to the level of hysteria we’ve reached in this country, egged on by an industry which, by the way, is dependent on indivdual mobility. Think of all the stories reporters would miss if they had to wait on the bus.
In fairness, today’s article is about individuals who are making preparations in their own way, which is fine, although one could argue Aaron Newton took the news about peak oil a little too hard:
Jennifer Newton never imagined that at age 35 she would eat out of a dorm-size refrigerator, grow unfamiliar produce in her backyard or discuss electricity-free kitchens with her husband. But now, much of the Newton household revolves around making it less dependent on fossil fuels, especially when it comes to diet.
“I’m not in denial, but I guess part of me thinks it’s not going to be as bad as he thinks it is,” said Jennifer, who has 2-year-old and 4-month-old daughters.
Her husband, Aaron, learned of peak oil from a co-worker about four years ago and grieved the loss of a materially comfortable future as someone grieves the death of a loved one.
Aaron said he even went through a period of depression where he drank more beer than usual and told his wife he “found out how the world is going to end.”
Compare the N&R’s approach to that of Dallas Morning News editorial columnist Rod Dreher, who describes himself as the Crunchy Con. It would appear that I agree with many of Dreher’s views, but I don’t know where he’s coming from here, where he argues that individuals need a little nudge from government to deal adequately with peak oil:
A comprehensive domestic energy policy should be geared toward helping regions, cities and neighborhoods depend as little as possible on petroleum. That could mean:
•Dramatically changing zoning restrictions to permit small retailing in residential areas, making it possible for people to walk or bike to do their shopping. Refuse to approve new housing developments unless they are designed for pedestrian accessibility to retail areas.
•Through regulation and tax-code changes, encouraging the development of local farming, so population centers can better afford to feed themselves. Similarly, discouraging the use of arable land for development.
•Government investing in expanding broadband infrastructure to make high-speed Internet access more accessible and affordable. A recent study by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation found ranked the U.S. 15th out of 30 industrialized countries in terms of broadband performance. Offering tax incentives to companies that use the Internet to decentralize their workforce to homes and neighborhood clusters.
OK, I agree with that last part. But time and again here in Greensboro, residents rally against retail in their neighborhoods. Some might argue that they rally against big-box retail, and that’s true. But anyone really think “small retail” would fare any better? Walking and biking to do your shopping sounds so good, especially to people who write editorials for a living. But raise your hand if you actually do it.
Now for some common sense. JLF’s Daren Bakst (unposted) says limits on offshore drilling should be lifted, while Antiplanner has some thoughts on the notion that we’ll somehow regain our lost comradery while living in the high-density, mass transit-dependent environment that so many wish to impose upon society.
