Being energy wise is becoming more and more a part of our culture recently. Conserving energy in our homes and driving is very worthwhile.  Crude oil prices could go back to their peak in no time if demand exceeds supply.

My vehicle is a large Yukon, which is great for hauling things.  Unfortunately it does not get great gas mileage so I have trimmed the number of trips I make to the office as much as I can. The fuel budget has been helped by that strategy.  I would get a smaller car, but this baby is pretty useful for carrying loads and large groups of people on a trip.

We have tried to cut back on energy usage at home by installing extra insulation and double-pane windows.  Energy talk on the news and in magazines slowly does have some influence on how we think and act.

Talk about a waste of energy—the fuel spent on airplanes, helicopters and trucks in fighting wildfires in California is insane.  Even the evacuation of thousands of families is an unfortunate waste of gasoline.  Check out the Minutemanfire website to see if there are other posts about preventing wildfires and their effect on civilization.  Even when fire buffers had been created, homes with tile roofs have been destroyed in fires, surprisingly.

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.