By the end of 1973, Richard Nixon was already surrounded by Watergate. The nation was shaken and there were demands for his resignation. That November, he sat in front of the cameras and addressed the nation from the White House, not primarily about the scandal, but about a more important issue: the fuel crisis. The Middle East was embroiled in a conflict between Egypt, Syria, and Israel, known as the Yom Kippur War. In October, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decided to stop shipping oil to countries that support Israel, causing US gas prices to fall sharply and inflation to spiral out of control. Drivers would sit in lines for hours at gas stations, only to find that the station was out. The situation reached such a level that many gas stations had to start rationing. According to Chevron’s CEO, that kind of fuel crisis may be upon us, but fortunately, we can learn a lot from the past.
Americans overcame the oil crisis of the ’70s by driving less, owning smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, using less electricity, and wearing sweaters to keep the heat warm in the winter. They endured – even if shortages were caused by public policies and wars that were beyond their control. It was not fair, but it was necessary, just as we may require some sacrifice today. That said, sustainable solutions, such as developing other energy sources, will have to come from government and big business.
everyone has to do their job
During his address to the nation in 1973, Nixon did a bold thing for a president – he asked American citizens to make real sacrifices: “The fuel crisis does not mean real suffering for any American. But it will require some sacrifice by all Americans,” and that, “Our factories, our cars, our homes, our offices, we will have to use less fuel than we are accustomed to using.” Overall, he said all Americans will need to “tighten our belts.” Perhaps it helped that he had already begun his second term and did not have to worry about re-election.
What sacrifice did he ask for? He urged all Americans to turn down their thermostats by six degrees to achieve the national indoor average of 68 degrees in winter. He asked drivers to carpool and not drive faster than 50 mph. He also called for cutting down working hours, so that offices and factories use less electricity. The average person cannot be blamed for the current oil crisis today. There are many things we can do to help reduce the damage as our oil reserves deplete. We can examine how fast and how often we drive, and whether we can afford to set the thermostat a little lower in the winter, depending on what fuels our furnace. Many Americans are already switching to EV and hybrid vehicles.
There are limits to what regular people can do
Realistically, there is only so much the public can do to deal with the energy crisis. Using significantly less gas may require real lifestyle changes, some of which are not feasible for many Americans. A Study by the National Petroleum Council in 1974 (PDF) Accepts this reality. Carpooling is an example of this. At the time, it was estimated that half of all passengers were unable to carpool. The study also recognized that public transportation was not a convenient option for many commuters who live in the suburbs but work in the city.
The same challenges persist even today. And even though a large percentage of Americans are ready to live a car-free life, it’s not practical for many of us. True, it is easier for people living in some cities like New York to take buses and subways to get to work than to drive, but most cities and populated areas are built around the use of cars rather than public transportation. For example, public transportation is almost non-existent in rural areas, where most people must travel long distances for work, shopping, and doctors’ appointments. Working from home is a solution, but only for some white-collar jobs. Blue-collar workers don’t have that option, and many companies that used to let their employees work remotely are calling them back into the office. The burden of solving the current energy crisis cannot be placed largely on the shoulders of the average citizen.
Governments need to set an example and lead
Nixon may have been clear about what he wanted from the American people, but he did not place the entire burden of solving the crisis on the common man. So that the US government could follow its precepts, the President ordered that all 500,000 or more federal vehicles be driven no faster than 50 mph, except in emergency cases. He also directed that federal offices, including the White House, keep thermostats between 65 and 68 degrees. Nixon called on state and local governments to lower speed limits and take other energy-saving measures, noting Oregon’s example of limiting the use of outdoor lighting and the change to the school year.
Government laws and policies had the greatest impact on change. In 1973, the Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act was passed, allowing the President to allocate crude oil to ensure that all fields and refineries had enough oil. A national speed limit of 55 mph was also established, as well as year-round daylight saving—an unsuccessful experiment that lasted only seven months. From the current fuel crisis we can see that government actions, whether good or bad, have a huge impact, and nothing will be fixed until those in office act responsibly.
We need alternative sources of energy, and industry has a huge role to play in this
Nixon did not leave businesses big or small out of his address. He also asked them to turn down their thermostats in offices, factories and other workplaces. He also included a call to turn to other energy sources, asking the Atomic Energy Commission to reduce the time taken to license and build nuclear power plants. He wanted power plants designed to run on oil to be converted to burn coal. He called for widespread use of natural gas and more offshore drilling as well as the construction of the Alaska Pipeline. All these initiatives required industry collaboration.
A Republican politician calling for more offshore drilling should sound like nothing new to us today. Most of Nixon’s proposals regarding alternative energy sources raise all kinds of environmental concerns – the kind that still give rise to heated debate between conservatives and liberals in our time. But no sane person would deny that we will have to develop an alternative to crude oil at some point. Nixon’s fuel crisis was caused by a decision of OPEC. Today the world’s fuel crisis stems from control over a 21-mile-wide stretch of water. Dependence on a resource that is surrounded by political instability leaves us all in a precarious position. We need alternatives – preferably clean alternatives like green biofuels – and fast.
Energy management should be a priority
It is surprising to see how even after half a century we are still struggling with oil dependence. Sure, power plants no longer run on oil, but we’re in for another fuel crisis, and you’d be surprised how well we’ve applied the lessons learned since then. At least the US government began to prioritize the management of energy resources. In addition to the initiatives initiated by Nixon, Carter later created the Department of Energy during another fuel crisis, giving energy its own Cabinet-level organization for the first time in history.
Nixon pointed out that the fuel crisis began long before the OPEC embargo, not by armed conflict, but by peace and prosperity. He said, “Now, our growing demands have outstripped the limits of available supply, and unless we provide new sources of energy for tomorrow, we must be prepared to tighten our belts today.” Whether you like it or not, energy management should be a priority for all of us.
