In another blog, I've written extensively on my use of automobile gasoline and my attempts to minimize its use by driving techniques. I've also written about other aspects of energy use in my life and in society. The fuel economy maximizing driving technique experiment began in September, 2005 at a time when gas prices were approaching the $3.00/gallon level. I began the blog about seven months later.
At that time, I was blissfully unaware of the concept of "peak oil," and had given little thought to the finite nature of a fossil fuel driven economy. Since then, I've become both more knowledgeable and more disturbed by the implications of this phenomenon. This blog will, among other things, reflect my thoughts on the implications of the clear fact that our civilization will look radically different a generation or two from now. It may not take that long but, in my opinion, it won't take longer.
In this post, I approximated the total energy use of my family of four. I included not only the usual transportation and electricity use, but the energy embedded in the products we use and the food we eat. I proceeded to calculate what it would take for me to produce this amount of energy using renewable sources available to me at my suburban home in Anaheim Hills, CA. The results, while impractical, showed that the sun provides enough energy on our lot to supply all of my family's needs.
I've decided to attempt to accomplish a sustainable lifestyle for me and my family, while minimizing the upheaval in our lifestyle. I'll do this by attempting to slowly incorporate renewable energy sources into our life, while simultaneously attempting to reduce the amount of energy we convert. I'll track the "gap" between what we produce and what we use and work for a "zero" in the balance. It's a long road ahead.
