BENDING TO RIGOR

THE PRICE OF GASOLINE ('petrol' to citizens of Oz) is bringing a new reality and rigor to our lives...Americans are driving less, using public transport more, and even riding cycles more. On the commercial front, small airlines are going to the bankruptcy courts while their large and older brethren are merging, code-sharing, culling from their fleets the more thirsty planes, and reducing schedules. In the meantime, the larger auto companies are stripping out their profit making pickups and SUVs as the motoring public move to purchase more economical vehicles. This is the rigor of rising cost of fuel, whoever we are; our culture is bending to the discipline of more realistic costs of energy. Gasoline is costing the equivalent of $9 per gallon (including 60% taxes) in Europe and may rise to two thirds of that here in the US over the next year.


What to do about all this? Uma has decided to purchase a motor scooter and maybe I will have a picture of it in time for this post. We figure that fuel savings on small errands made several times a day between her stores and home will pay for the purchase within a year or so.

For my part, I have been experimenting with the suggestions of the Federal government; these include:

• travel between 25 and 55 mph
• keep tires properly inflated
• use overdrive as much as possible
• use cruise control

In addition, I have been using the discipline of drivers who win economy drives:

• imagine you have a full glass of water on the dashboard and keep it from spilling
  
• use slower acceleration and avoid harsh braking
• anticipate traffic lights so as to avoid stopping
• coast when it safe to do so
• thinking carefully whether I can put off a trip or combine purposes of trips; I figure it costs $1.50 in gas for each trip into town.
  

I have found this takes quite a deal of concentration at the outset but quickly becomes second nature. I was amazed that this has raised my 'round the town' economy from 22 mpg to 27 mpg.
My little Infiniti G20 (290,000 miles) gives me about 33 mpg on the highway and I am not sure that I can improve this much. We shall see.

I am interested to hear what approaches you are taking to get better economy from your cars.

SO WHAT IS THIS BLOG REALLY ABOUT?

WHEN I STARTED THIS BLOG it was because many friends wanted to follow my adventures once I was gone from Portland. Each time I write an entry I think, 'What really is this about?'
Blogging is an indulgence and quite addicting and it is very useful to get comments from time to time that let me know how interesting (or not) this Blog is currently.
As I am retired, I have more time to read and reflect than when working four ten-hour days each week over in Kennewick and three day weekends in Portland. Often reading is like Web surfing, one reads one author who mentions another so it is on the yet another author. Reading books takes longer than looking at Websites, it need not be said.
Maybe that is what this Blog is about from time to time; reading and reporting stuff others might not readily come across in their literary travels.
I had intended to entitle this posting, 'THE FUTURE IS COMING AT YOU FASTER THAN YOU THINK!'. And so it is...oil has reached almost $140 a barrel and the stock markets around the world have reacted skittishly.
Kunstler, in The Long Emergency, makes the case that the rising cost of energy and fundamental role of oil in the economy and 'The American Dream' will eventuate in an economic crisis of global dimensions and cause considerable anguish here in the United States. His book is about understanding this and what to do to survive with the least anguish. If you can do so, read it as a first priority.
What then about oil and the rising cost cost of energy? Like many of you, I am concerned about global warming. It is far from clear whether we humans can forestall the effects of our profligate consumption of fossil fuels. It may be that greenhouse gases emitted by China and India will more than undo all our efforts in the foreseeable future (China is commissioning or planning more than 50 coal-burning power stations each year!).
The two immediate problems with oil are its cost and its availability.
Fuel costs for cars are beginning to hurt and are likely to hurt more. We who are dependent on natural gas for heating, that may be our next hurt. The core problem around oil is supply. Some take seriously the theory of Peak Oil. According to this we are now into the second half of oil supply having used more than half of the oil deposits. Each succeeding barrel of oil will cost more to obtain. We can expect the supply of oil to diminish. I read the other day that US oil refineries are gearing up to refine more heavy crude to meet demand. As the price of motor fuel continues to rise, we will endeavor to use less. Many are pinioned by their need to travel long distances between home and work so that the cost of gas increase will reduce their discretionary spending and result in a slowing of the economy.
It will take some time before really economical cars become widely available. Even then, these will be beyond the reach of many folk. Already people are walking more, using public transport more, riding bicycles more, and buying motor scooters. Some, like Kunstler, predict the decay of cities with their sprawling suburbs and associated supermarkets along with the rise of small communities able to support local production of food and other goods currently brought from afar.
Reducing our use of oil may not result in lowered cost since China, India, and much of the rest of Asia are acquiring our profligate use of fossil fuels. The United States is loosing its place as the foremost purchaser of oil and will have less and less control of its supply. The availability of oil for refining will likely diminish but this may not result in lowered costs due to rising demand elsewhere in the rest of the world.
Evidently, all this will result in considerable change in our society and culture, as we find our way back to a lifestyle based on reduced motor fuel use and likely increased cost of utilities and even shortages of electricity. It will be a very different society, the aftermath of what may be a difficult crucible of experience and experience.
I hope you may be able to read 'The Long Emergency'. I am interested to see your ideas of what changes may lie ahead and what we may need to minimize their effect on society and our lives.

BACK IN THE USofA: I see that I last posted while in Adelaide. Since then I returned to Sydney for a few days before flying back to SFO for a week's stay with my friends, Francis and Mary Wright. As I have mentioned, we shared quite a few adventures back some 20 years or so ago, when he and I worked in a country psychiatric service network in Warrannambool in western Victoria, Australia. They live next door to their son, Gil, who in addition to being a specialist gynecologist, is also a wine maker. Amongst the several wines we drank last week was an excellent ten year old red of Gil's making. As those of you who know me well will imagine, we drank not a little wine but not to excess.
I was also out and about in sunny San Francisco going with Mary to visit the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, with Frank to the local wine country, local fleets of mothballed ships, driving to the top of Mt. Diabolo (astonished at the number of cyclists toiling their way up the 3,850 ft climb), and together, we three, to visit the ancient cemetery for Welsh miners who mined coal in the early days of California.
While sad to leave these good friends behind I was very glad to be on the final leg home on Monday night last, catching the 'red eye' to Charlotte (Carolina) then a bridging flight to Philadelphia (has to be the worst designed airport I have been to so far), and finally to Elmira, our local airport. Still bedeviled by the cold I had picked up in Adelaide and, lacking sleep on the night flight, I confess that I was mightily tired (if you can pardon this apparent oxymoron) and very glad to be home. Unsurprisingly, I slept for 12 hours that night! Since then it has been back to the routine of turning compost, mowing lawns, and catching up on six weeks of mail.
Two 'on hold' books were waiting for me at the library; one on managing energy in the home and the other by a new author (for me) James H Kunstler, titled 'The Long Emergency; surviving the converging catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century'...more of this in the next posting.
Oh...another thing: I turned 71 this week!
Roberto

IN THE LAND DOWN UNDER: As you may have surmised, I made it out of SFO (how convenient to travel out to the Airport on BART) in time to catch my QANTAS flight to Australia. I had the good fortune to be sitting next to an Aussie radio astronomer who is working in West Virginia and had occasional stimulating conversation about the nature and origin of the universe and such like.
I must say that I was impressed by the flagship airline of my home country (first time I have used this service) and this high standard was carried on when I flew from Sydney to Adelaide.
Mostly, I have been busy 'grandfathering' including getting to know the latest grandson, Stirling. who was born last August. The other three Aussie 'grand nippers' have all grown and developed amazingly in the 15 months since I saw them last.ce). On my last day in Sydney, I borrowed my son's scooter to visit with my friend (of grad. school days) Lorraine. As I was last on motor powered two wheels back in 1988, this was quite an adventure. The new scooters do not require the rider to change gears so the controls are rearranged somewhat. Initially Ikept feeling for the rear brake with my right foot. Fortunately, Sydney drivers are most courteous toward riders so I felt reasonable secure as I puttered along. What fun as I rode up and over the Anzac Bridge; almost like flying an ultralight!
Just to let you know that I was really there, how about the photo of the Opera House?
And here I am with the Opera House in the background. That is my grandson Jude at table 'a la terrace' with me.

Presently, I am in Adelaide where the weather is continuously fine autumn days and very pleasant temperatures. Yesterday I was taken out up into the Adelaide Hills by my friend of many a yesteryear, Peter Daniels. He and Robina, his wife, have a beautiful home with views all the way to the southern coast. Due to recent rains, the hills are covered with green grass, very different from the unending brown of 15 months back. The eucalypts, typically gnarled and twisted all jostled each other as they surveyed our passage. On his extensive property, several kangaroos eyed us from their resting place the shade of a stately gum.

Until the next posting....
Roberto

ON THE WAY TO OZ

I am back in San Francisco having traveled down by train from Portland on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The trip in reverse...Portland to Eugene by train, Eugene to Klamath Falls by bus, finally KF to Emeryville. To save from dragging my impedimenta (Latin for baggage) too far I caught the Emery Shopper bus around to the MacArthur BART station for Powell BART downtown. This is only a few blocks from the Downtown SF International Youth Hostel, where I presently sit working on this posting.
On the bus section they handed out great sandwiches, cookies, and bottled water. This stood me over until boarding the train. The Dining Car being still open (at 10:30 PM), I made a bee line for it. I found myself seated with three other diners, two from Cleveland (they had traveled all the way around on the Empire Builder train) and one from Chicago; all three were on the sleeper ticket. Once more, AMTRAK cuisine excelled. I had roast breast of game bird, an excellent Shiraz, and delicious cheesecake. I recommend the coffee at Emeryville, where I had a light breakfast at the coffee kiosk before setting out for the Emery Shopper.
The weather in SFO has been fantastic; sunny, blue sky, light breezes, and mild temperatures. I bought a three day pass for the cable car and rode around the Fisherman's Wharf circuit; somewhat of a slow roller coaster ride given SFO's hills.
As ever, my companions in the four bed dorm were interesting; two were from Toronto and one from Japan.
Today, more tooling around the town, this time with my camera. Expect some shots and maybe some others taken with my cell phone camera. I used the latter yesterday but, in the bright sunlight, hopeless when composing a shot.
Tonight I leave for Sydney via Qantas. I have traveled some 30 or so times between Australia and the US over the past 24 years, once with Continental and the rest with United Airlines (seduced by their (up 'til now) Mileage Plus plan (I think I have had about seven free trips out of that Plan). Now, for the first time, with Australia's own airline; flying the Aussie flag at last!
Until the next post...Roberto

ANZAC DAY

APRIL 25 (ANZAC DAY) is a big day in Australia and New Zealand. and I thought those of you who are not Aussies may like to know something about this tradition. It s probably Australia's most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as ANZACs, and the pride they soon took in that name endures to this day.

Why is this day special to Australians?

When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been a federal commonwealth for only 14 years. The new national government was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula to open the way to the Black Sea for the allied navies. The plan was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman Empire and an ally of Germany. They landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in war.

The day begins with dawn services at small and large memorials in towns all over Australia when the solemn words are repeated:

"They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old; age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn; at the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them; we will remember them"

Later, there are big parades in the larger cities, with men and women who served in all wars marching in their old company groups, or else children and grandchildren of citizens who served and who have passed on. Afterwards, many will meet at reunion dinners or for drinks at favored local pubs. As one leaves the War Memorial in Canberra, on the wall there is an inscription to the effect that one cannot understand the Australian culture until one understands the experience of Australians at war.

Does this mean that Australia is a bellicose nation? That is hardly the case, since we have never started a war although we do have a habit of joining with allies to fight. ANZAC Day is important to us because it was in the crucible of conflict that the Aussie spirit of "mateship" emerged, of helping your mate when he/she is down, of looking after the underdog, and looking out for the general good. This attitude drives much of the social services, including the health system.

ANZAC Day, and the memory of that drawn out and futile battle for the Dardinelles has formed a bond between Australia (and New Zealand) with Turkey. These former enemies now have a common ANZAC memorial at the place of the intended invasion. Each year Turks and visitors from Australia and New Zealand stand, at dawning and with heads bowed, for a simple memorial service to reflect on and recall the futile irony of war. Similar ceremonies occur in France and Belgium.