Karen Smith Makes Some Valid

Karen Smith makes some valid points in her article, "Sitting in the Dark." Her comments bring to light a number of challenges that Americans would face if we were to have an oil crisis. As in Smith's experience in 1973, lack of heat would be a major concern. A more modern problem, not mentioned by Smith, is the major economic crisis that would occur without power and access to computer-operated systems. Finally, the lack of transportation due to oil restrictions would create difficulty in not only transporting people but in transporting food and other essentials that people need to live. While continued oil exploration should still be part of the process in addressing our increased energy needs, the obvious problems related to Smith's argument also make a clear point for conservation and economical government control of resources.

As in Smith's experience in 1972, a shortage of oil would most notably leave many without heat. As a result, some people might die either directly as the result of no heat or as the result of sickness from harsher conditions. Smith remembers, "without heat Londoners dressed warmly, but the winter nights... were bitter. I slept fully clothed" (77). While Smith was a healthy adult, the elderly and the young or sick would not have been able to adjust to such conditions. Their inability to cope would cost people their lives.

One major impact not mentioned by Smith is the effect that power outages due to oil shortage would have on economics. Economics affects each of us, since it controls how much we can buy to eat and for supplies. If an oil shortage caused gaps in electricity, the computer systems that control our banking systems, our retirement funds, and our bill paying would be set seriously off kilter. As a result, individuals who were depending on money to take care of them in a crisis may no longer have access to their money. Or worse, the devaluation of money due to an oil crisis may mean that a savings will no longer help. If heat and oil are not subsidized enough for individuals to afford it, some people's savings will additionally be wiped out quickly as they struggle to pay the high costs of heating or transportation.

Transportation is another problem mentioned briefly by Smith that would definitely be a problem for United States citizens. Unlike many European cities, our metropolitan areas are only partially equipped to handle their population in terms of public transportation. Many Americans continue to drive even in areas where public transportation is available, so that transportation is not modern enough and systems are not comprehensive enough. Smith comments, "When I and thousands of other workers left the office for home on foot, we hastened by others who appeared barely able to walk along" (77). While Smith is speaking of the elderly, children could also lose out if transportation was unavailable. Children could not reach school and parents could not attend work. Further, the lack of transportation would significantly hinder the transfer of goods -- including groceries and necessary supplies -- from farms and factories to the millions of Americans who live in cities. It would not take long for cities to run low on food an reach a crisis situation.