␈↓␈↓ Page 1


␈↓αA less Flippant Response to               ␈↓ εx␈↓achieve␈α
it."␈α
It␈α
is␈α
not␈αclear␈α
to␈α
me␈α
that␈α
this␈α
is␈αa
␈↓αJohn McCarthy's "Energy and               ␈↓ εx␈↓worthwhile␈α≡goal,␈α≡let␈α≡alone␈α≡a␈α≡"great"␈α≥or
␈↓αthe Environment" letter.                  ␈↓ εx␈↓"essential"␈α∃one.␈α∃ Of␈α⊗course,␈α∃such␈α∃a␈α⊗goal␈α∃␈↓↓is␈↓
                                          ␈↓ εx␈↓important␈α∂if␈α∂we␈α∂wish␈α∞to␈α∂be␈α∂able␈α∂to␈α∞dominate
␈↓α␈↓ β%by Les Earnest                            ␈↓ εx␈↓the␈α
rest␈α
of␈α
the␈α
world.

␈↓McCarthy␈α_asks,␈α_"Who␈α_is␈α_right,␈α→Nixon␈α_or          ␈↓ εx␈↓The␈αaccompanying␈α≡gure␈α[taken␈αfrom␈α"Energy
␈↓Quarles?"␈α∞The␈α∞easy␈α∞answer␈α∞is␈α∞"both":␈α∞there␈α
is    ␈↓ εx␈↓Policy␈α→in␈α→the␈α→U.␈α→S."␈α→by␈α→David␈α→J.␈α→Rose,
␈↓no␈α_inconsistency␈α_in␈α_the␈α_dual␈α→measures␈α_of        ␈↓ εx␈↓␈↓↓Scienti≡c␈α∪American␈↓,␈α∪January␈α∪1974]␈α∩illustrates
␈↓developing␈αmore␈α
energy␈αsources␈α
and␈αimposing    ␈↓ εx␈↓the␈α!di≠culty␈α!of␈α!achieving␈α independence
␈↓discipline␈α≡over␈α≥our␈α≡patterns␈α≡of␈α≥personal       ␈↓ εx␈↓anytime␈α!soon.␈α  It␈α!appears␈α!that␈α Nixon's
␈↓consumption.                              ␈↓ εx␈↓assertions␈α≠in␈α≠this␈α~area␈α≠are␈α≠every␈α≠bit␈α~as
                                          ␈↓ εx␈↓plausible␈α⊗as␈α⊗his␈α∃earlier␈α⊗claims␈α⊗for␈α∃keeping
␈↓Like␈αMcCarthy,␈αI␈αbelieve␈αthat␈αin␈αthe␈αlong␈αrun     ␈↓ εx␈↓in∨ation␈α⊃under␈α⊂control␈α⊃and␈α⊃achieving␈α⊂"peace
␈↓it␈α∩will␈α∩be␈α∩possible␈α∩and␈α∩desirable␈α∩to␈α⊃develop     ␈↓ εx␈↓with␈α
honor".
␈↓energy␈αresources␈αthat␈αgreatly␈αexceed␈αthose␈αnow
␈↓available.␈α I␈αam␈αmore␈αworried␈αabout␈αthe␈αshort    ␈↓ εx␈↓McCarthy's␈α_last␈α↔paragraph␈α_summarizes␈α↔his
␈↓term␈α
than␈α
he␈α
apparently␈α
is.                   ␈↓ εx␈↓curious␈α
reasoning:
                                          ␈↓ εx␈↓β␈↓ π_"It␈αseems␈α
to␈αme␈αthat␈α
the␈αenvironmentalists
␈↓I␈α⊗≡nd␈α∃current␈α⊗local␈α∃levels␈α⊗of␈α⊗air␈α∃pollution      ␈↓ εx␈↓β␈↓ π_have␈α∪exaggerated␈α∪environmental␈α∪dangers
␈↓objectionable.␈α∪ Looking␈α∪out␈α∪over␈α∪the␈α∪bay,␈α∩I     ␈↓ εx␈↓β␈↓ π_and␈α∂the␈α∂difficulty␈α∞of␈α∂getting␈α∂more␈α∞energy
␈↓have␈α∩seen␈α∩the␈α∩smog␈α∩layers␈α∪get␈α∩progressively     ␈↓ εx␈↓β␈↓ π_because␈α≥they␈α≥would␈α≥like␈α≥us␈α≥to␈α≥live
␈↓thicker␈α
and␈α
darker␈α
during␈α
the␈α
8␈α
years␈α
I␈α
have      ␈↓ εx␈↓β␈↓ π_differently␈αfor␈α
quite␈αdifferent␈αand␈α
unstated
␈↓been␈α∪here.␈α∪ I␈α∪lived␈α∪in␈α∪the␈α∪L.␈α∪A.␈α∪area␈α∪long         ␈↓ εx␈↓β␈↓ π_reasons."
␈↓enough␈α∂to␈α∂learn␈α∂what␈α∂it␈α∂can␈α∂do␈α∂to␈α∂your␈α∞eyes        ␈↓ εx␈↓That␈α∞may␈α∂be␈α∞true␈α∂of␈α∞a␈α∂few␈α∞people␈α∂on␈α∞whom
␈↓and␈α∂lungs␈α∂when␈α∂it␈α⊂gets␈α∂really␈α∂bad.␈α∂ I␈α⊂do␈α∂not       ␈↓ εx␈↓you␈αcould␈αstick␈αthat␈αlabel,␈αbut␈αit␈αis␈αentirely␈αtoo
␈↓believe␈α$that␈α#prescribed␈α$modi≡cations␈α#to       ␈↓ εx␈↓sweeping␈α
an␈α
accusation.
␈↓automobile␈α∞engines␈α
have␈α∞solved␈α∞this␈α
problem,
␈↓nor␈α
will␈α
they␈α
any␈α
time␈α
soon.                   ␈↓ εx␈↓Continuing␈α
with␈α
McCarthy,
                                          ␈↓ εx␈↓β␈↓ π_"This␈α
tactic␈α
has␈αbeen␈α
successful␈α
in␈αgetting
␈↓Instead␈α∪of␈α∩asking␈α∪"Who␈α∩is␈α∪right",␈α∪I␈α∩believe      ␈↓ εx␈↓β␈↓ π_rigid␈α⊂environmental␈α⊂laws␈α⊂passed,␈α⊂and␈α⊂has
␈↓that␈αit␈αmakes␈αmore␈αsense␈αto␈αask␈α"Which␈αset␈αof      ␈↓ εx␈↓β␈↓ π_succeeded␈α⊃in␈α⊃stalling␈α⊃many␈α∩measures␈α⊃for
␈↓measures␈α∩needs␈α⊃pushing?"␈α∩There␈α⊃is␈α∩a␈α∩lot␈α⊃of       ␈↓ εx␈↓β␈↓ π_getting␈α#more␈α#energy.␈α# But,␈α$as␈α#the
␈↓push␈α≠behind␈α≠energy␈α≤development␈α≠because        ␈↓ εx␈↓β␈↓ π_congressional␈α∞vote␈α∂on␈α∞the␈α∂Alaska␈α∞pipeline
␈↓there␈αis␈αmuch␈αmoney␈α
to␈αbe␈αmade␈αthere.␈α
 While      ␈↓ εx␈↓β␈↓ π_showed,␈α
environmentalists␈α
cannot␈α
get␈αus␈α
to
␈↓environmentalists␈αhave␈αmanaged␈αto␈αindulge␈αin   ␈↓ εx␈↓β␈↓ π_change␈α∨our␈α∨life-styles␈α without␈α∨really
␈↓a␈α
few␈α
excesses,␈α
their␈α
impact␈α
has␈α
been␈α
miniscule  ␈↓ εx␈↓β␈↓ π_convincing␈α∨us␈α∨that␈α∨the␈α changes␈α∨are
␈↓and␈α⊃their␈α⊃o≥enses␈α⊃minor␈α⊃compared␈α⊃with␈α⊂the       ␈↓ εx␈↓β␈↓ π_desirable␈α
or␈α
necessary."
␈↓well-developed␈α_oil␈α↔lobby␈α_that␈α_has␈α↔brought      ␈↓ εx␈↓Overlooking␈αthe␈αfallacies␈α
in␈αthe␈α≡rst␈α
statement,
␈↓about␈α⊂the␈α⊂(legal)␈α⊂systematic␈α⊂looting␈α⊃of␈α⊂public  ␈↓ εx␈↓I␈α⊃still␈α⊃must␈α⊃ask,␈α⊃"What␈α⊃does␈α⊃a␈α⊂congressional
␈↓funds␈α∀through␈α∀oil␈α∀depletion␈α∀allowances,␈α∪tax    ␈↓ εx␈↓vote␈α∀on␈α∀a␈α∀commercial␈α∀adventure␈α∀in␈α∀Alaska
␈↓deductions␈αfor␈αforeign␈α"taxes"␈αon␈αoil,␈αetc.␈α It␈αis␈↓ εx␈↓have␈α⊃to␈α∩do␈α⊃with␈α⊃our␈α∩lifestyle?"␈α⊃There␈α∩is␈α⊃no
␈↓certainly␈α∩not␈α∩plausible␈α∩to␈α∩lay␈α∩any␈α⊃signi≡cant   ␈↓ εx␈↓practical␈αway␈αto␈αmarket␈αAlaskan␈αoil␈αon␈αthe␈α
oil-
␈↓part␈αof␈αthe␈αblame␈αfor␈αcurrent␈αenergy␈αshortages   ␈↓ εx␈↓short␈α∃East␈α∃Coast,␈α∃nor␈α∃is␈α∃any␈α∃pipeline␈α∀that
␈↓on␈α
the␈α
environmental␈α
protection␈α
movement.     ␈↓ εx␈↓would␈α⊂make␈α⊂this␈α⊂feasible␈α⊂contemplated.␈α∂ The
                                          ␈↓ εx␈↓West␈α
Coast␈α
needs␈α
only␈α
modest␈α
supplements␈αto
␈↓Nixon␈α
is␈α
quoted␈α
as␈α
saying␈α
that␈α∞"The␈α
capacity     ␈↓ εx␈↓local␈α⊂sources␈α⊃for␈α⊂quite␈α⊃some␈α⊂time.␈α⊃ Where␈α⊂is
␈↓for␈α⊃self-su≠ciency␈α⊃in␈α⊃energy␈α⊃is␈α⊃a␈α∩great␈α⊃goal,    ␈↓ εx␈↓the␈α
Alaskan␈α
oil␈αto␈α
be␈α
marketed,␈α
then?␈α Mostly
␈↓and␈α→an␈α→essential␈α_goal.␈α→ We␈α→are␈α→going␈α_to          ␈↓ εx␈↓Japan.␈α⊃ The␈α⊂closest␈α⊃this␈α⊃is␈α⊂likely␈α⊃to␈α⊃come␈α⊂to
␈↓␈↓ Page 2


␈↓enhancing␈αour␈αlifestyles␈αis␈αthat␈αit␈αmay␈αincrease ␈↓ εx␈↓riding␈α⊂illegally␈α⊂on␈α⊂a␈α⊂freeway␈α⊂or␈α⊂carrying␈α⊂the
␈↓the␈α
availability␈α
of␈α
Sony␈α
television␈α
sets.      ␈↓ εx␈↓bicycle␈α
cross-country␈α∞for␈α
miles,␈α
there␈α∞being␈α
no
                                          ␈↓ εx␈↓road␈α⊃open␈α⊃to␈α⊃bicycles.␈α⊃ (Happily,␈α⊃they␈α⊃didn't
␈↓I␈αhave␈αno␈αobjection␈αto␈αsending␈αoil␈αto␈αJapan.␈α I    ␈↓ εx␈↓catch␈α
me.)
␈↓only␈αwish␈αthat␈αit␈αwas␈αbeing␈αdone␈αin␈αone␈αof␈α
the
␈↓several␈α↔possible␈α_ways␈α↔that␈α↔do␈α_not␈α↔include       ␈↓ εx␈↓While␈α⊃bicycles␈α⊃will␈α⊃not,␈α⊃by␈α⊃themselves,␈α⊃solve
␈↓raping␈α~the␈α~environment.␈α~ Of␈α~course,␈α~that       ␈↓ εx␈↓the␈α#air␈α#pollution␈α#and␈α$energy␈α#shortage
␈↓would␈α
reduce␈α
pro≡ts,␈α
which␈α
is␈α
unacceptable.    ␈↓ εx␈↓problems,␈αthey␈αcan␈αmake␈αa␈αsubstantially␈αlarger
                                          ␈↓ εx␈↓contribution␈αto␈α
urban␈αtransportation␈αthan␈α
they
␈↓McCarthy's␈α
concluding␈α
remark␈α
is␈α
that          ␈↓ εx␈↓do␈α∞here␈α∞at␈α∞present.␈α∞ Whether␈α∞out␈α∞of␈α∞necessity
␈↓β␈↓ ↓x"Unless␈α~this␈α~happens,␈α~we'll␈α≠stick␈α~with         ␈↓ εx␈↓or␈α_cleverness,␈α_many␈α_European␈α→cities␈α_make
␈↓β␈↓ ↓xNixon"                                    ␈↓ εx␈↓travel␈α
by␈α
bicycle␈α
downright␈αconvenient.␈α
 There
␈↓Presumably␈α
that␈α
is␈α
an␈α
editorial␈α
"we".          ␈↓ εx␈↓is,␈α_of␈α_course,␈α→the␈α_bene≡cial␈α_side␈α→e≥ect␈α_of
                                          ␈↓ εx␈↓blubber␈α
reduction.
␈↓α␈↓ β↔New Technology 
                                          ␈↓ εx␈↓With␈α∞relatively␈α∞modest␈α∞investments␈α∞(but␈α
some
␈↓In␈α∀addition␈α∃to␈α∀seeking␈α∀new␈α∃energy␈α∀sources,      ␈↓ εx␈↓reduction␈α∃in␈α∃automobile␈α∃roadways),␈α⊗we␈α∃can
␈↓why␈αnot␈αalso␈αseek␈αmore␈αe≠cient␈αways␈αof␈αusing      ␈↓ εx␈↓have␈α→bicycle␈α→routes␈α→separated␈α→from␈α_motor
␈↓energy?                                   ␈↓ εx␈↓vehicles,␈α⊂plus␈α⊂secure␈α⊂parking␈α⊂facilities.␈α⊂ (I␈α∂do
                                          ␈↓ εx␈↓not␈α∂have␈α∞in␈α∂mind␈α∞the␈α∂miserable␈α∂system␈α∞stuck
␈↓I␈α⊂believe␈α∂that␈α⊂advanced␈α⊂communications␈α∂and     ␈↓ εx␈↓together␈α
by␈α
Palo␈α
Alto.)
␈↓computer␈α⊗systems␈α⊗can␈α∃reduce␈α⊗the␈α⊗need␈α∃for
␈↓travel␈α⊃to␈α⊃theaters,␈α⊃stores,␈α⊃or␈α⊃even␈α∩a␈α⊃separate   ␈↓ εx␈↓For␈α∩just␈α∩a␈α∩bit␈α∩more,␈α∩we␈α∩could␈α∩implement␈α⊃a
␈↓place␈α
of␈α
work.                              ␈↓ εx␈↓"free␈α∂bicycle"␈α⊂program.␈α∂ That␈α∂is,␈α⊂there␈α∂would
                                          ␈↓ εx␈↓be␈α"a␈α"large␈α"number␈α"of␈α"cheap␈α!bicycles
␈↓I␈α⊂believe␈α⊂in␈α⊂the␈α⊂development␈α⊂of␈α⊂e≠cient␈α∂but      ␈↓ εx␈↓purchased,␈α∪painted␈α∩distinctively,␈α∪and␈α∩parked
␈↓low-performance␈α?␈αβvehicles␈α?␈αβfor␈α?␈ααlocal           ␈↓ εx␈↓in␈α∞designated␈α∂locations␈α∞throughout␈α∂the␈α∞urban
␈↓transportation␈αthat␈αcan␈αalso␈α"piggy␈αback"␈αon␈αa   ␈↓ εx␈↓area.␈α↔ They␈α⊗would␈α↔be␈α⊗freely␈α↔available␈α⊗for
␈↓rapid␈α∪transit␈α∩system␈α∪for␈α∩longer␈α∪rides␈α∪(e.g.␈α∩a    ␈↓ εx␈↓anyone␈α
to␈α
ride.
␈↓∨atcar␈α8system␈α8with␈α9rapid␈α8loading
␈↓arrangements).                            ␈↓ εx␈↓These␈α~bicycles␈α≠would␈α~be␈α≠maintained␈α~and
                                          ␈↓ εx␈↓redistributed␈α↔as␈α↔needed␈α↔by␈α↔a␈α↔roving␈α⊗sta≥,
␈↓α␈↓ β≤Old Technology                            ␈↓ εx␈↓probably␈α∀composed␈α∀of␈α∀high␈α∀school␈α∀students
                                          ␈↓ εx␈↓working␈α
part␈α
time.
␈↓In␈αthe␈αnearer␈α
term,␈αlike␈αMcCarthy,␈αI␈α
like␈αcars.
␈↓But␈α∀I␈α∀also␈α∀like␈α∀clean␈α∀air␈α∀and␈α∀bicycles␈α∪and        ␈↓ εx␈↓I␈αhave␈αnot␈αcarefully␈αexamined␈αthe␈αcost␈αof␈α
such
␈↓believe␈α
that␈α
our␈α
values␈α
have␈α
become␈α
warped.     ␈↓ εx␈↓a␈α∂program,␈α∂but␈α∂would␈α∂guess␈α∂that␈α∂it␈α⊂could␈α∂be
                                          ␈↓ εx␈↓implemented␈α∂throughout␈α∂the␈α∞bay␈α∂area␈α∂for␈α∞an
␈↓Automobiles␈α∞have␈α∂exclusive␈α∞access␈α∂to␈α∞smooth,   ␈↓ εx␈↓annual␈α∩cost␈α∪below␈α∩10%␈α∩of␈α∪what␈α∩is␈α∪paid␈α∩for
␈↓∨at,␈α∂expensive␈α∞expressways␈α∂and␈α∂freeways␈α∞and    ␈↓ εx␈↓automobiles.␈α( The␈α)appropriate␈α(charging
␈↓have␈α∂many␈α∂parking␈α∂lots␈α∂to␈α∂accomodate␈α∂them.      ␈↓ εx␈↓mechanism␈α∩would␈α∩be␈α∩a␈α∪local␈α∩"transportation
␈↓Bicycles␈α
are␈α
permitted␈αto␈α
compete␈α
with␈αcars␈α
for  ␈↓ εx␈↓tax",␈α
probably␈α
hung␈α
on␈α
property.
␈↓the␈α∂twisted,␈α∂hilly,␈α∂pot-holed␈α∂roads,␈α∂and␈α∂if␈α∞the
␈↓rider␈α≠is␈α≠lucky,␈α≠there␈α≠may␈α≠be␈α≠a␈α≠tree␈α~or            ␈↓ εx␈↓The␈α
bene≡ts␈α∞of␈α
a␈α
free␈α∞bicycle␈α
system␈α∞would,␈α
I
␈↓something␈α
to␈α
chain␈α
to␈αwhen␈α
he␈α
gets␈α
where␈αhe       ␈↓ εx␈↓believe,␈α
far␈α
outweigh␈α
the␈α
cost.
␈↓is␈α
going.

␈↓Last␈α∃summer␈α∃I␈α∃bicycled␈α∃from␈α∃here␈α⊗to␈α∃San
␈↓Diego␈α∪and␈α∪several␈α∪times␈α∪had␈α∪the␈α∀choice␈α∪of