Oil Crisis

Editorial : Change in lifestyle

OIL futures last week breached the $67-a-barrel mark in New York, and so far no relief is in sight. It appears that in the near future as well as in the long term, the global economy is in for another period of high oil prices.

The Philippines, which is 55 percent dependent on fossil fuels for its energy needs, is greatly affected by the constantly rising prices of oil. Analysts estimate that every dollar increase in the price of Dubai crude adds about P500 million to the country's annual oil bill.

This is additional expenditure that the country, which is already pressed for funds, can hardly afford. Thus, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and business leaders have agreed that the best solution to the oil crisis is to cut down on the country's consumption of 330,000 barrels a day.

A huge reduction in the country's consumption of oil will entail a drastic change in the lifestyle of the people. Many of them will have to walk or bike to work. This will mean not only savings in fares and oil use but also daily exercise, and ultimately, a healthier work force.

Those who can still afford to drive cars will have to buy bantams and minis instead of the gas-guzzling AUVs, SUVs and CRVs. Some may have to switch to scooters or gas-powered skateboards. One version, the TT Racer, is light and can be maneuvered through the densest traffic.

Experiments should be pursued on the use of alternative fuels for vehicles such as alco-diesel, coconut methyl ester made from copra, compressed natural gas, ethanol and electricity. Some hybrid vehicles can be run on both gasoline and electricity.

Housewives will have to cut down on the use of LPG and electricity in the kitchen. One stove that runs on alternative fuels is the "green charcoal" stove that uses briquettes made of sawdust, corncobs, peanut shells, twigs and branches. Another is the "fantastic kalan" that uses wood chips, fresh coconut shells, charcoal and any hard combustible material. Several years ago someone made a stove that used compressed and balled old newspapers. We wonder whatever became of it.

More households will have to be encouraged to use solar energy for their daily needs. Some people think that solar energy is expensive. The initial installation of solar panels may be expensive, but in the long run, solar energy can be economical. In Negros Oriental province last year, a study showed that for as low as P343 a month, rural households can run modern conveniences such as television sets, electric lights, radio sets and even karaokes using solar energy.

A 5-watt system can be installed for P35,000. In Negros Oriental, people can buy it for only P20,000 because they can get a P15,000 discount through a grant from the Netherlands government and a P5,000 subsidy from the provincial government.

The architecture of office buildings and homes will have to be changed to reduce the use of electricity for airconditioning. For starters, homes can be designed so as to allow the maximum circulation of air: high ceilings, many windows and doors and ventanillas or sliding wooden windows beneath the big windows of old houses.

Filipino architects would do well to study Arabic architecture, particularly that of Saudi Arabia. In Jeddah the most striking feature on the facade of a typical townhouse are the "rawashin," great bay windows. The latticed rawashin serve three functions: providing privacy, enhancing the appearance of the house and providing good ventilation.

Today many public buildings and private homes have to use airconditioning because their architecture is Western; they are designed so as to conserve heat for fall, winter and early spring. This is illogical; we don't have winter in the Philippines. Why not use tropical architecture for a tropical country like ours?

Because less airconditioning will be used (we hope), people will also have to change the way they dress. Off with the heavy, thick and dark-colored woolen and flannel suits. Instead, more clothes made of cotton, linen and ramie will have to be used. For formal occasions, the elegant piña and "jusi" [banana fiber] will have to be used, but some way must be found to bring down their prices.

For the poor, the current oil crisis will mean more scrimping and greater deprivation. The rich, for their part, could help reduce the consumption of costly oil by changing their lifestyle and adopting the philosophy of voluntary simplicity. Malacañang has said that energy conservation is now a matter of national survival. Everyone will have to contribute to the effort to reduce oil consumption if we are to keep our head above the water.