It seems everyone is concerned about the “greenness” of the products used in their homes, from the renewably sourced bamboo “wood” floors to the solar panels on the roof to the waste and refuse disposed of during construction. Not to mention the Energy Star appliances and the recycling done by the homeowner after construction. Although I am personally steamed by paying more for the gas in my car and the energy for my home, I am grateful this OPEC induced oil price rise has caused the greening of America. It has been brought up to the main stream media’s center stage even more than Al Gore’s documentary. It has caused us to rethink the products we use in our homes and makes us demand more energy efficient and environmentally friendly products. Before the rise in oil prices, we were concerned with global warming but our carbon footprints were increasing due to our rapid suburbanation and the increase in the size of homes in America. For example, even if your air conditioner is 50 percent more efficient, if your home is 100 percent larger you will use more overall energy, especially if you have to drive 50 miles each way to work in a large SUV. Lucky for us, in the past six months we have been reminded just how that carbon footprint is made: with fossil fuels. So thank you, oil exporting countries for helping us realize just how much the fossil fuel economy is really costing us.
Credit: Amateur Economist
