Energy Use The Human Dimension (1984) / Chapter Skim
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6: Energy Emergencies
6: Energy Emergencies
Pages 132-160
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From page 132... ...
And sudden, large-scale energy shortages can dramatically increase energy and other prices, cause serious unemployment, and lead to social and political stress. In short, the prospect of a serious energy shortage underscores the views of energy as social necessity and a set of strategic materials (see Chapter 2)
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From page 133... ...
When those social ends can be achieved with substantially less energy, even on relatively short notice -- by using stored energy, reducing nonessential uses of energy, substituting other things for energy, or changing people's views about comfort and convenience -- the tie between energy events and true emergencies is weak. At the heart of energy emergency preparedness, therefore, is the relationship between energy and society.
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From page 134... ...
It may be a conscious goal of policy or an unintended side effect. The precipitating event may be political, economic, military, and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted.
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From page 135... ...
Past and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted. Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative version for attribution.
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From page 136... ...
Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative version for attribution. Table 2, Dimensions and consequences of selected energy emergencies Type of Emergency A major interruption of A shutdown of nuclear A protracted coal strike An earthquake in the oil supply from the electricity generation south-central U.S.
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From page 137... ...
Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative version for attribution. other oil-importing nuclear power is and sectors receiving energy countries; particular important, and on the shipments through the impacts on nuclear industry south-central U.S.
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From page 138... ...
Some of the generalizations are robust enough to apply across a wide range of energy emergency situations; others apply more specifically to a particular kind of crisis situation, such as an oil import emergency. PREVENTION AND PREPAREDNESS Being prepared for an emergency can sometimes help in preventing it, but preparedness is no substitute for prevention.
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From page 139... ...
Being prepared for an emergency may help to prevent it. For example, and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted.
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From page 140... ...
The presence of such a system might have an additional value: it would change the executives' decision-making environment, and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted. Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative version for attribution.
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From page 141... ...
A truly significant reduction in world oil supplies would affect the and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted. Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative version for attribution.
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From page 142... ...
; emergency preparedness may also be influenced by social contacts and groupings. In a sense, it is a kind of social innovation, spreading through contact networks, which may be accepted or rejected.
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From page 143... ...
For example, plans can be made for using school and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted. Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative version for attribution.
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From page 144... ...
Thus, high unemployment often and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted. Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative version for attribution.
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From page 145... ...
The diversity and linkages of energy emergencies make it unlikely that any given set of plans will be appropriate for the next crisis. Consequently, energy emergency preparedness should generally emphasize functions rather than products and facilities; flexibility rather than optimization; and resiliency under a wide range of conditions rather than efficiency.
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From page 146... ...
One way to prevent this eventuality is to view energy emergency preparedness as a continuing process and to focus on systems for response rather than on specific responses: for example, on systems for communicating during an emergency rather than prepackaged batches of information, as discussed below. Such an approach is especially important if there is a likelihood of a series of emergencies over time.
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From page 147... ...
When conditions are and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted. Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative version for attribution.
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From page 148... ...
But during an oil import emergency, such information may be the determining factor in deciding whether to make the trip. Emergencies require different kinds of information, often sharply focused on details and local circumstances (Newtson, 1973)
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From page 149... ...
, it would be difficult to assure that government supplied information will be trusted, even if it is completely correct. The and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted.
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From page 150... ...
It must allow the skeptical to resolve their suspicions, not simply provide facts: relying on the testimony of "experts" is clearly insufficient (e.g., and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted. Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative version for attribution.
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From page 151... ...
.4 When the federal government makes emergency preparations to fill a gap, those programs may deter decentralized preparations, and, as we have already noted, a decentralized approach seems necessary.5 In addition, when the federal government can be expected to deal with the impact of an emergency, such as by offering disaster relief, others are unlikely to invest in disaster insurance or other individual preparations. Experience demonstrates that when people are not prepared and suffer greatly, the government will tend to meet their needs even in the absence of stated policies; in effect, people who fail to prepare are rewarded as "free riders," while people who have prepared are penalized.
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From page 152... ...
If energy supply decreases, with demand substantially unchanged, energy supplies will be quickly reallocated, at a higher price. and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted.
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From page 153... ...
. While notions of equity are often ambiguous enough to have little impact, a national emergency and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted.
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From page 154... ...
They do not respond nearly so well to new information as do, for example, and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted. Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative version for attribution.
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From page 155... ...
policy toward energy emergency preparedness, and several actions can be taken in accordance with those principles. Although these recommendations cover only a part of the territory discussed in this chapter, they can be a significant step in the right direction.
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From page 156... ...
Whenever thereis uncertainty about the potential uses of an emergency power by the federal government, such as price controls, fuel allocation policies, or decisions to sell oil from the strategic petroleum reserve, other parties tend to assume that full government power will be used. As a result, many of them will take less responsibility for emergency preparedness themselves, increasing the demands on government during an emergency.
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From page 157... ...
The federal government should work toward broad nonpartisan and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted. Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative version for attribution.
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From page 158... ...
Preparedness should be broad-based, capable of handling such events as a severe electricity shortage, a major strike, a natural disaster, or a major military mobilization, as well as an oil import cutoff. Energy emergency preparedness programs should be concerned with post emergency recovery.
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From page 159... ...
For an oil import emergency, examples include the use of the strategic petroleum reserve, dealing with restraints on interstate commerce, and meeting energy requirements for national defense. And local options and needs may be strongly affected by prior actions by central authorities (see "Implications for the Federal Role," page 155, and "Prevention and Preparedness," page 138)
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From page 160... ...
Consequently, and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted. Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative version for attribution.
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