Page 6 RAIN October 1979 NewAwareness, NewRegions and futile efforts to balance sudden changes. The way demand exceeds supply is not smooth. New habits for change are surfacing. by Phil Henshaw The new habits we're developing as we become more and more sensitive to the vicissitudes of the thirsty tank are changing our overall felt impressions of, and actual' relations to, our greater landscape. Some places are now becoming further away; and some places are becoming more familiar. One of the sharpest new distinctions is a new definition of distance-one not apparent as long as fuel was plentiful, but now likely to be of permaoent interest no matter how expensive or restricted fuel supplies become. It's the distance Just two years ago the country was shocked by the reported possibility that demand for liquid fuel would exceed supply by as soon as 1982. No one had a feeling for what that meant or what our response would be when it came. Now, three years earlier than the earliest predicted date, we've found that the way in which supply fails to accommodate demand is in unpredictable and disquieting surges of broken expectations of free travel 'on one full tank of gas-generally two to three hundred miles, a maximum of one hundred fifty miles in any one direction. Suddenly this summer, the towns and recreation areas beyond a half tank's distance from major population centers have felt an unfamiliar pinch, while ones within range are busier than ever. Having gone through the minor or major trauma of filling up the tank, one still feels free to zip out of We hear so much talk nowadays about political crises, the need to be r::eshaping our values, uniting for political action, innovating new kinds of technology. It can all become an-overwhelming blur at times. And always, it comes down to a tricky question of where to best invest our precious time. The heavy imperatives compete for our attention with the daily rhythmsearning the bread, making a home, being with friends or just being. Yet these are the things that make life grow, and go on. They also have their roots in the context of "place." Such localized rituals can prQvide us with an appropriate focus for framing those bigger-than-we-care-to-imagine problems-and give us a scale of involvement that nourishes solutions we can relate to. ' In piecing together this issue of RAIN, we saw some recurring threads of thought present themselves in our various contributors. So we've strung their diverse ideas together to see what patterns emerge. Regions that are tangible. Localities that have per~eived boundaries. Neighborhoods of familiar faces. I think it was Peter Warshall of CQ who once asked his friends if they could identify the watershed they lived in. A truly great question for raising water consciousness! And there are so many related probes: What weather patterns define successful gardening in your city? How far can you travel before you're no longer on home turf? Who are those people living down the block you saw at the co-op grocery? In each case sensing place is a tool for focusing on the next, best move ... and dealing with too-big problems can begin most appropriately at our own back doors. -Steven Ames ReneDubos on. Neighborhoods Local Climates by Steve Johnson The effects we are having on climate on a global scale is one of those notions that's hard to keep in mind all the time. When I first got wind of the news that such climate change was apparently occurring as a natural, possibly cyclical pattern, and also due to the effects of industrialization, I was convinced this would be one of those large and dramatic shifts that could bring about necessary social changes. But it's hard to keep in mind. It mostly feels normal. Now and then I realize my folk wisdom concerning climate-and that of old timers more well-founded-doesn't always hold as much water. It's difficult to talk with assurance about what ' ·,r; . I
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz