20051127.0931

20051127.0931

Energy Sociology
Friday talked with another sociologist interested in energy. The only other bona fide energy sociologist I’ve met in person. Both of us agreed that it was surprising nothing was written on it. At the same time, that means there is tremendous room for writing.

She had with her a boyfriend who was an environmentalist and an urban planner. It was interesting discussing it with a sociologist, because the sociological take is so different from an environmental one. The environmentalist sees a green problem that needs to be solved. And somehow or other the environmental perspective always ends in ideology. As in, it’s good if everyone uses one CFL lightbulb so that the one less nuclear plant can be built. To an environmentalist, who has internalized the concern for nature perspective, this is inherently a good thing, and it is obvious.

As a sociologist, my initial response to that is: so what? That’s the kind of thing that can only appeal to the faithful. However, if the energy people are right, the problem we may end up having will need a solution. And in that case, everyone with one little CFL light bulb so we can build one less nuke plant is meaningless. We may find that in order to power society we need lots of CFL light bulbs, and lots of nuke plants.

Further, the environmentalist says of getting sweaty riding bike to work – that’s part of what you put up with because bike riding is a technical part of the solution to energy scarcity. The sociologist recognizes that regardless of the technical solutions, people’s social awareness is not insignificant. If people perceive riding bike to work as uncomfortable and unfashionable, they won’t do it. Period. So any suggestions that ignore such things is less useful, and perhaps completely useless. This is another reason the environmental perspective can be frustrating. They are likely to think such things as status symbols, fashion, discomfort are silly and frivolous. Fortunes have been won and lost on such frivolity. We can’t ignore it, and the sociologists should know this.

Thinking about energy makes me deeply uncomfortable, simply because the threat is so significant, and the silver bullets so few. At the same time, Akureyri here has really given me a new perspective. And it is one that is more callous. I had hoped we might see some forward thinking with gas prices going up a little bit in the states. All we had was a lot of bitching and moaning. I could ride my bike a feel like an anarchist, and like I had averted some financial negativity. Then the prices came down, and things immediately went back to normal. No sooner did fuel hit 2.50/gal than I saw someone’s full size half-ton dual exhaust really rocking chevy truck idling at the drugstore. I parked next to it. Went in and did ten minutes worth of shopping, came back out, and it was still there idling with no one in it. Seems sad, but whaddya do right?

Well, then I get here, and people do walk more. But they still love their cars. This is ok, because so do I. They have more than enough energy for power and for heat, so it seems like this would be a great place to be. Then I toured the suburbs. Yep suburbs. In a town of 16000, where gas is is around 1.70/litre (that’s more than 6.5USD/gal)! What the hell are they thinking? They are locking themselves into the same fuel dependent box that characterizes so much of the US. Interestingly, Reykjavik is developing in just the same suburban lines. And you know what? Not only is their gas hugely expensive, their cars are too. They have many little SUVs here, and I really like them, but let’s do the math. The nice ones seem to be going for 4 or 5 million kroner. That’s 65k USD for a truck that in the US would only be going for 30k. The heavily modded highland trucks are going to cost more than that.

Now, if the Icelanders are willing to pay almost 7 dollars a gallon, and 65 THOUSAND for a family truck, why the hell am I riding bike around Evansville, getting hit, to save 2.50 gallon gas? Why drive around in an old ratty 3000USD Toyota? I mean what’s the point? This is truly a crisis of faith for someone who thinks “the revolution will not be motorized” and “cars r coffins” and “bicycles = freedom”. Anarchist my ass. It truly feels pointless.

Whatever will happen, will happen quite a ways into depletion influenced high prices. I knew this. Strauss and Howe reinforce this. But Akureyri drives it home and makes me feel it. Can you feel both more and less doomerific at the same time?



Yesterday went skiing up on Hilþarfjál