J~ne 1976 RAIN Page 15 NW ENERGY: PAST,PRESENT,FUTURE As elsewhere in the U.S. and the world, the primary me_chanism underlying the changes in the Pacific Northwest's historical patterns of energy consumption is the economics of oil. Prev.iously those with wood heat and energy-conservative solar homes were seen as weird inventors or eco-fanatics. Now millions of others have come to see that these soc,ietal curiosities were just more perceptive of our nation's energy future, acted on those personal signals and have -given us examples to follow. These same people, with the same alertness, have other valuable energy intelligence that they're daily bringing back to the rest of us still far behind the front lines. The perceptions of people who have already been proven correct in these areas are now telling us where the web of life will be affected next. Their awareness is so acute and trustworthy because theirs is understanding of things experientially, intuitively•and enthusiastically aligned with what's happening, rather than just with the economics of energy and resources. ' As we (and they) gaze into the future we see that the same forces behind the surge of interest in solar energy will cause change in social institu tions as , well. Our wast.eful energy habits have been built on the availability of cheap energy and money. Now we are examining the dollar and energy effectiveness of all our existing patterns. We are now recalculating the value gained in each and every use of energy in soci-al organizations, eating habits, living patterns, value structures and the.small details of our personal responsibilities'. A five-year before and after view of the Pacific Rim provinces reveals that: {1) the Henry Mathew and Eric Hoffman solar homes have been follo\\;'ed by 40 to 60 more, with hundreds planned, as solar energy becomes a middle-class ' phenomenon and very popular politically. Architects are rediscovering passive ' solar systems, the "thermal flywh~el" effect of building mass and design with· •climate principles; (2) the cord price of · wood has about doubled, and sales of wood heating and cooking stoyes have risen, welded stoves are built in garages and old ones are repaired; (3) RPA, PGE and PP&L no longer ridicule the idea of large wind turbines on the rim of the Columbia Gorge or the Great Plains ... they are now vying for four NASAdesigned wind generators available for utility testing nation-wide; (4) energy conservation, once the province of environmentalists is now a patriotic duty; (5) utilities have built solar test homes, 1 sometimes incompetently or unnecessarily expensive, in·order either to understand the effect of solar home heating on them or to maintain the Pacific Northweses.built-in "solar inferiority complex" by demonstrating that solar energy is too complex and expensive for most people; (6) suburbanites are flocking back to the cities, creating housing shortages, remodeling fine old homes near condemnation and demanding better mass transit to save on auto gasoline costs; (7) gardens and season-lengthen- .ing solar greenhouses are sprouting up all over; (8) environmental organizations are paying more attention to energy, understanding that attempts fr, use up , quickly whatever energy is left will mean great stress on .surrounding etola- 'gies. They are demanding and getting environmental impact statements on utility company plans for expansion when customers have demonstrated they'll conserve if the burden is fairly distributed. All of these activities, on top of the ,greatest hydro-electric resources in the nation, may begin to make the Pacific Northwest the first steady-state region in the nation and economy. We'll spend more energy and dollars for maintenance of existing structures and systems than, we do for growth; we've already begun. (LJ) NW Energy Dire~tory Update The following are new or corrected addresses to be added t0 those listed around the "Northwest Energy Directory" which can be found on pages 16 and 17 of the Nov. 1975 RAIN. Always try these local organizations first with your questions. Don't forget,to take a look at the environmental education and lobbying groups listed elsewhere in this issue ... th,ey are paying attention to energy matters also. Washington Snobomish Ecotope Group Box 618, 98290 206-322-375 3 (Evan Brown, Ken Smith) Non-profit educatibn, research; methane, solar, wind, energy conservation, wood heating. Seattle Environmental Farm Program Shoreline School District N.E. 158th and 20th N.E., 98155 206-362-7900, ext. 258 (Tony Angell, Chris Peterson) Federal Energy Administration Region X 1923 Federal Bldg. 915 2nd Ave., 98174 206-44i-7260 (Jack Robertson, Lee Johnson, Marie Davidson) Washington State Energy Information & Conservation Center Institute for Environmental Studies 112 Sieg Hall, FR-40 University of Washington, 98195 206-543-7749 (Germai~e·Cummings) Research and dissemination of Pacific Northwest energy info. • Olympia Community Services Admin. Rm. 214 Gen. Admin. Bldg, 98504 206-753-4931 . (Priscilla Cares, Jack Ragdale) "How to Build a Solar Green- • house" videotape available, winterization program. Washington State Energy Office 1000 S. Cherry St. Olympia, WA 98504 206-25 3-2417 (Keith Sherman, Carol Costello, Bill Kingrey) 1/2" VTR w/brochure and plans of "Matrix Solar Hot Air Collector" Spo,kane Northwest Regional Foundation No. 507 Howard St., 99205 • 509-455-9255 (Bob Stilger, Nancy Bell Coe) Publish Futures Conditional monthly. Continued on page 16
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