If there’s anything we’ve learned in recent months, it is that we should be energy smart whenever possible. There is a real payoff for  concerving energy as we drive and in our homes.  Even though oil prices have come down to half of their peak in mid-2008, we know that they could go up again in a hurry.

My vehicle is a large Yukon, which is great for hauling things.  Mileage is not so good, but I’ve cut back to making three trips to the office weekly whenever possible. That has helped my fuel budget.  If it weren’t for the load-carrying capacity I would look for a more fuel-efficient, smaller automobile.

We have tried to cut back on energy usage at home by installing extra insulation and double-pane windows.  When we hear so much energy talk on the news, it does have the effect of getting us to at least think about ways to cut back on energy usage.

Imagine the wasteful expenditure of energy in fighting a wildfire, with Diesel for fuel-guzzling choppers, planes and trucks.  Also, think about all the gasoline used by folks vacating their threatened homes.  There is some related discussion of this on the Minutemanfire website, which includes wildfire prevention in its sphere of interest.  It is amazing that homes could be destroyed even with tile roofs and a swath where the vegetation had been removed.

Rebuilding a fire-damaged home likewise utilizes energy that would otherwise be saved, a further link between fires and energy usage.  We may not think about it much, but in fact there is a connection between fire prevention and conserving energy.