In 1700, the world was comprised largely of small agrarian communities, the population totaled less than one billion people and the average life span was less than 30 years. Today, nearly 6.8 billion people walk this earth with almost 500 million living in megacities around the world, all interconnected through a dizzying array of intercontinental flights, internet connections and I-phone conversations. The average life span in the United States is currently 77 years. In a mere 300 years we have radically transformed how we live, were we live and for how long we live. How did this happen? A complex question no doubt but in part it is because we learned to harness the energy sequestered in the fossilized remains of carbon-based plants and animals from millions of years ago: first coal in the 1700s and later oil in the 1800s. With abundant and cheap fossil fuels we have created an industrialized food system that is dependent on energy-intensive machinery and diesel-powered transport, enabling us to feed 6 billion mouths. With abundant and cheap fossil fuels we have created a multi-trillion dollar economy that is dependent upon the production and distribution of oil-based products on a daily basis while in the process generating more wealth than the world has ever seen. And with abundant and cheap fossil fuels, we have created a complex public health/health care system dependent on cutting-edge technology to cleanse our water, sanitize our cities and revolutionize our understanding of human disease, all combining to more than double our average life span in a few hundred years. In short, affordable energy has quite literally helped reshape our world.
Unfortunately, there is growing concern that our fossil fuel endowment is not as robust as most think and not as large as currently needed. On the surface, such fears may seem preposterous (despite all the talk about the renewable energy sources, oil, coal and natural gas still power approximately 85% of our daily endeavors). Yet an ever expanding group of learned professionals would argue otherwise due primarily to their concerns about “peak oil”, the moment in time when the world’s annual oil production has reached its peak.
The story begins in 1956 when a geologist name King Hubbert predicted that US annual oil production, then the largest in the world, would peak by 1970 followed by a permanent decline. At the time his ideas were ridiculed but history was ultimately on his side. In the early 1970s, US oil production did peak, rather quickly transforming our nation from the undisputed international leader in oil production to the largest oil importer in the world. Today, numerous geologists and oil experts are predicting that world-wide oil production has reached or will soon reach its peak. While it is not possible to explore in detail all the ramifications of “peak oil” (quite literally countless books are now available discussing some or all aspects of this phenomenon) suffice it to say it will pose a tremendous challenge to our energy intensive society where oil remains our most widely used primary energy source. If production peaks and demand continues to rise (which is almost a certainty in the rapidly growing economies of China and India) basic economic principles dictate that prices will increase, perhaps dramatically, effectively ending the era of cheap oil.
Of course, alternatives to oil exist but the most likely short-term replacements are coal and natural gas. Since these fossil fuels are already in wide-spread use, ramping up production in the short term would not be difficult. However, with the threat of global warming growing by the day, it will be necessary to decrease fossil fuel consumption, particularly coal, the dirtiest of the fossil fuels. Further complicating the picture, coal and natural gas are finite resources themselves and are likely less abundant (at least at easily affordable prices) than commonly believed (some contend coal and natural gas production could peak in the next couple of decades). Renewable energy remains our best option but at this moment wide-spread use exists only in the dreams of environmentalists, raising serious questions about our ability to quickly and affordably replace declining oil production with any combination of renewable energy sources. It is quite likely therefore that we must accelerate our conservation efforts.
It is time to realize that our primary energy sources are not as stable as many think. Some fear that within the coming decade, peaking oil supplies will trigger an energy crisis characterized by volatile and escalating prices. Amazingly, despite the threat of peak oil, this evolving story has received little attention within the mainstream public. As with most challenges there are solutions (in my mind the most important is conservation) but first we must begin to acknowledge the threat. Until we do so, we will continue to squander our remaining fossil fuels, making eventual solutions that much more difficult. So I challenge those less familiar with this subject to pick up one of the many books currently available and to educate themselves on the matter. If we truly are entering the twilight years of the fossil fuel age, we need more informed leadership than is currently available. We need to replace the child-like cheers of “drill baby drill” with the more nuanced, informed mantra of “conserve baby conserve.”
Blog is part of Carbon Sharing, a guest blog series by John Ausiello
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Enjoy the second enstallment of John Ausiello’s blog – Carbon Sharing.
Man in the Mirror
They arrived in Copenhagen confident, leaders in their respective nations, charged with the task of curbing global emissions. It had been more than a decade since the last agreement, known to all as the Kyoto Protocol. Since that time, a time when the US was too mired in its own concerns to ratify the treaty, the science has become more certain, the threats more severe and yet CO2 levels have continued to rise. So it was with a sense of urgency and hope that these men and women convened in Copenhagen, set to change the world. Instead, based on the thoughts of many, they left having once again shortchanged our future.
To be fair, an “agreement” was reached but one without binding emissions. The US did pledge aid to third world nations to help mitigate some of the costs of global warming adaptation but such generosity seems to me a few decades too late and a few billion dollars too short. The commentary that has followed has been at best luke warm, at worst harsh in its condemnation. Bill McKibben the renowned and widely respected environmental leader of 350.org has gone on record harshly criticizing President Obama.
I too am disappointed with the results of Copenhagen but I believe it is misplaced to put all the blame on our leaders. The reality is that President Obama is an elected official with the sole responsibility to act on behalf of his electorate. He does not speak solely for environmental scientists however correct their ideas may be. His voice is the collective voice of all those citizens who cast favorable votes on that famous night in 2008, a group unified under the banner of the Democratic Party but in reality a group comprised of millions of people with disparate ideas, motives and concerns. As such, when he veers from the path we think he needs to take, we must ask ourselves do we need to make our voice, the voice that yearns for better environmental leadership, more clearly heard?
So I do not put all the blame at the feet of our leader. We must acknowledge that as a nation, we are not where we need to be with regards to climate change. Amongst environmentally minded folk we may speak as one, living by the mantra “reduce, reuse, recycle” while yelling at the top of our lungs that nothing is more important than curbing CO2 emissions. But unfortunately across America, even amongst liberal voters, we speak as many. I suspect some still perceive the state of our current scientific knowledge as incomplete and not convincing enough to warrant the personal sacrifice called for by environmentalists, while I suspect many others, especially in this time of economic hardship, do not doubt the science but simply have too many daily concerns to devote their attention to an abstract and distant threat (a way of thinking I most certainly followed until just a few years ago). It is not surprising therefore that our leaders fail (in our eyes) to do what they need to do: help create a carbon neutral future.
Where does this leave us? For now, those of us that are worried are left to do the heavy lifting without the immediate and full support of our government. But the historical record has shown that in past times, under similar pressure, individuals have helped reshape the course of our nation—whether it was our Founding Fathers who launched the birth of a nation when they dared to dream that “all men are created equal” or more recently Rosa Parks who, with grace and dignity helped usher in the civil rights movement by forsaking her “position” at the back of a bus. This is not to imply we can tackle the challenges of climate change without the eventual support of government. In truth the challenge is too great. But to garner the full support of our leaders we must become more active. We must show greater support to organizations like 350.org that have mobilized millions so that soon we can mobilize tens of millions. We must, in short unify our voice so that our leaders have no choice, lest they risk re-election, to lead us where we need to be, on a path towards a more sustainable future.
So to those of you that have begun the fight, I ask “can you do more?” And to those of you that have not yet started, I remind you of the words once spoken by RFK:
To finish our Water Conservation week, we are featuring another guest blog written by Karen T. Hartline.
Enjoy -Shout outs
Yesterday, while in my son’s bathroom, I noticed that there was a razor on the shelf (don’t worry, it was high above my three year old’s reach). Of course, at first, I rolled my eyes, thinking, (begin reading in a fast, high pitched, whiny ramble for the sake of authenticity) “What is this doing here? So ridiculous how I’m the one that has to put everything back in its rightful…” Then I realized something: my husband has been remembering to shave in the second bathroom. Why? Because it has a pluggable drain. This way he doesn’t wast water letting it run and run while he shaves ten years off his face (no beard makes him look younger… heheheh). Ohhhh… Awesome honey!
I also want to do a shout out to my kid’s teacher, who told me that they will start watering the class plant with the water left in their cups. I don’t know that this will keep the kids from actually turning off or turning down the faucet, but I think that it’s important just to have the expression “save water” in their heads. I mean, my kid knows that when he comes in the house, he has to take off his shoes and put them in the closet. He knows that if he wants something, he has to say please. Of course, we’re still working on a few things – say, getting a tissue when you’ve got snot running down your face… why aren’t kids bothered by a stream of mucus above their lip??? But the point is that these are all things that we started him doing early. So why not water conservation? Maybe, since it hasn’t been on my generation’s agenda our whole lives, that we don’t necessarily think to make it a priority for our kids. But we have to get them ready for the world that they live in, where water shortages are becoming more and more common. So from now on, it’s look both ways before you cross, don’t talk to strangers and SAVE WATER!
Starring: Damion Fitz
Written by: Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group
Statistical Information provied by: the EPA, www.epa.gov
Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission
Special Thanks: Dennis Arinella
For more information, please visit – www.whatyoucando365.com
It Aint for the Polar Bears
- a guest blog by John Ausiello
For those of you that do not know me (which of course is almost everyone reading this blog) I am a 36 year old physician in New York City who has become deeply passionate about global warming, energy and our environment. I was recently asked why I think such issues are important and what I may be doing about these problems. In future blogs (should I be lucky enough to write more) there will be ample time to address what I and others think can and should be done but today I would like to address the former question.
By now most of us have heard from the scientific community the litany of reasons why global warming is a threat. But the purpose of this blog is not to regurgitate such concerns point by point. Nor is it to sell anyone on the need to protect polar bears or other endangered species however invaluable such efforts may be. Instead, it is about a much more basic and personal reason why global warming is a concern of mine: his name is Alexander Ryan Ausiello, a little fellow who happens to call me daddy.
Alex is now 18 months old, happy, healthy and blissfully ignorant of all that may go wrong in the coming years. As a new parent I share the concerns that surely all young parents must. Is he ok when he coughs at night? Is he warm enough on a cold winter day? Is he growing and developing normally? Will he be vertically challenged his entire life like daddy?
My environmental concerns however have raised a whole new set of concerns perhaps unique to our generation. By the time Alex is 36, it is my fear that we may have squandered our opportunities to reverse global warming amidst our continued indifference. It is my fear that he may be stuck navigating life’s difficulties with the same outdated technology, wondering how billions will adapt to rising sea levels. Or his concern for endangered species may have become a reality as he lives slightly more alone in a world ripe with extinction. It is my fear that he may be entrenched in a world with far fewer options, with far greater threats and with far more uncertainties than the world inherited by his father. And it is my fear that he may have long ago abandoned the idea of parenting, thoughtfully refusing to bring another helpless child into an increasingly unstable world.
At the same time, as concerns for global warming are mounting and the citizens of the world are responding I have hope. By the time Alex is 36, I have hope that the world may have begun to cool thanks to the herculean efforts of his parent’s and grandparent’s generations. I have hope that Alex will be thriving in a world powered by renewable energy, wondering how we ever chose to burn oil to power our daily activities. That he will be in the early stages of a seemingly limitless adult life all made possible by the ingenuity and perseverance of the human spirit. And most importantly, I have hope that he too will have a son or daughter of his own, appreciating the raw emotion that can only come from staring into the eyes of your newborn child.
By the time Alex turns 36, it may be too late to make a difference, all the important decisions will have been made. I hope we have overcome our inertia and have chosen to act wisely. If so, I hope I am there with him to enjoy the dawn of a beautiful new day.
Think there’s nothing you can do to conserve water in your kitchen in 1 minute?
Starring: Jack Halaby
Written by: Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group
Statistical Information provied by: the EPA, www.epa.gov
Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission
Special Thanks: Dennis Arinella
For more information, please visit – www.whatyoucando365.com
Think there’s nothing you can do to conserve water in your bathroom in 1 minute?
Starring: Julie Tortorici
Written by: Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group
Statistical Information provied by: the EPA, www.epa.gov
Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission
Special Thanks: Dennis Arinella
For more information, please visit – www.whatyoucando365.com
Think there’s nothing you can do to conserve water in your bathroom in 1 minute?
Starring: Matt Wadja
Written by: Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group
Statistical Information provied by: the EPA, www.epa.gov
Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission
Special Thanks: Dennis Arinella
For more information, please visit – www.whatyoucando365.com
Think there’s nothing you can do to conserve water in 1 Minute?
Starring – Mary Kate Funaro, Karen Funaro and Danny Funaro
Written by – Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by – Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group
Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission
Statistical Information provided by – The Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov
Special Thanks – Joan Halaby Funaro, Maureen Halaby and Dennis Arinella.
For more information, please visit – www.whatyoucando365.com
On the Leesh Productions is a New York based company devoted to the production of innovative, energetic, and challenging film and theater. We are comprised of a core team of collaborators interested in new and provocative subject matter, in unhindered visual experimentation, and in realizing the work of like-minded creative artists and writers.
