Gas Rationing

What's old is new once again. Another generation gets to experience the emotions of gas rationing. These emotions include fear, boredom, and dread. The system is the same as back in the 1970s:

License plates with an odd number as the last number in their plate can get gas on odd days, while plates with in an even number as the last number can get gas on even numbered days.

This time there is the added problem of people being without power. Some folks in Ridgewood have been without power for almost a week. Included are the schools which may be forced to stay closed for another week. I can't say that I can recall a similar calamity during my time in Ridgewood. Maybe that's why these are called 100 year storms.

Though I would dare to assert that because we use more electricity than when I was growing up, and are more dependent upon the power grid, these sort of tests of our patience and fortitude will occur more often in the future. Certainly more than every one hundred years. It's simply part of the challenges we face as a society with an ever growing demand for goods and services which require energy to produce, deliver, and consume.

I don't want to turn back the clock and have our modern marvels restricted or eliminated. I do want to investigate ways to reduce our consumption of energy from the power grid so that storms like Sandy don't leave us feeling afraid for our safety and dreading to go outside. Not to mention the sheer ennui of having to sit in a gas line during a cold early morning.

The good news is that people are working on ways to reduce our use of energy. Not merely by having us sit around in 60 degree homes in the winter but by clever monitoring of consumption via cable set top boxes. If you could program your heat and air conditioning in your home from an app on your I-Phone or I-Pad then you might be able to save energy and money with very little inconvenience. More on this in future postings. Stay safe and only drive these next few days when necessary.