State a Model for Energy Conservation

COULD California's environmental policies, forged during the energy crisis of the 1970s, be turned into a model for other states, maybe other countries?

The federal government has not been providing leadership in cutting greenhouse gases. And with the growing demand for energy from India and China, maybe California could spread its expertise around the world.

When the state faced doubled oil prices and increased energy demand in the 1970s, the conventional wisdom was to build coal and nuclear power plants about every eight miles from San Diego to San Francisco.

But the plants were never built, because California's scientists and lawmakers looked in another direction: conservation. We reached our goals of curbing energy demand with fluorescent light bulbs and pushing energy savings appliances around the house, such as refrigerators, washing machines and water heaters.

Public utilities started spending their money helping consumers use less energy by promoting the installation of double-paned windows and additional insulation in houses.

The result was that California's economy kept growing while Californians on average use 40 percent less energy than the rest of the country.

The high cost of energy is a motivator for the individual consumer, but when that is multiplied by millions of Californians, the result is an enormous reduction in energy usage. Last year, the federal government finally saw the light and adopted 16 of the state's appliance and building standards, and made them law for the entire country.

Lawrence Berkeley Lab director Steve Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, said, "This was the lowest-hanging fruit, but it cannot solve it all.

Officials are saying a similar approach could allow the rapidly industrializing countries of China and India to evolve into sustainable, productive economies, rather than environmental nightmares.

Eventually, scientists say, the solution will be to replace the 80 percent of the energy supply that is provided by oil, natural gas and coal with carbon-free energy sources. In the meantime, cutting energy demand with more efficient vehicles and buildings is the best approach.

California has a history of progressive legislation that ends up being widely adopted once proven successful. That is why, despite the federal government's recent crackdowns on everything from financial privacy to food labeling to emission controls, it is important to allow states to set their own standards and regulations.

Maybe this would be an opportunity for California to set up a commission of scientists that could advise international leaders on energy savings. Maybe that way we could make some money off our wisdom and success.

(c) 2006 Oakland Tribune. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.