The response to the 1970s oil shocks gave the planet a life-saving head start in the struggle to avoid catastrophic climate change
Americans are capable of dramatically changing their energy spend. And our political leaders can buy decisive,bipartisan action on global environmental problems. This is not just wishful thinking. We know this because they contain done so before – in response to the 1970s oil crisis.
Before the crisis, the federal government had no real energy policy. Decades of cheap oil helped fuel the economic boom after the second world war. Until the early 1970s, and few policymakers believed this would change. But between October 1973 and March 1974 the price of oil quadrupled,thanks to the October war between Israel and her neighbors, the rising power of Opec and the boycott organized by a group of Arab states. Related: Oil fuels war and terrorists like Isis. The climate movement can bring peace | Rebecca Solnit Related: The Paris climate summit is a real test of humanity Related: Don't let the Paris climate talks ignore people displaced by global warming | Roberto Lovato Related: What’s really at stake at the Paris climate conference now marches are banned | Naomi Klein Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com