Opinion: Reflections on the power crisis

Juneau's energy crisis is over, at least as far as consuming diesel for electricity is concerned. We should applaud the effort by Alaska Electric Light & Power Co. to rebuild the Snettisham towers well ahead of the schedule anticipated immediately after the massive avalanches brought them down. As we begin to return to our old ways, let's not forget what we learned about energy conservation.

Perhaps we could also look deeper into the value of time spent dedicated to understanding the dilemma we faced.

Conservation is much more than a reaction to a short-term budget crisis. It's a philosophical approach to life that demands critical thinking and constant attention. How much light do we really need to see to get our work done without straining our eyes? How much energy is wasted producing hot water for unnecessarily long showers? The questions go on and on, each one examining an everyday convenience we've become accustomed to.

Convenience is an idea that offers another brand of conservation. Using modern appliances allows us to get our work done sooner. Power tools help us build faster. The microwave saves time cooking meals. The clothes dryer dries our laundry quicker without the time-consuming effort of hanging each piece of clothing on a line. My computer saves time editing nonsense, hopefully rewriting it into something meaningful. Each one promises us more time for recreational opportunities.

After a long day's work we often rest while watching television or reading a book, or we might be out fishing or hiking. Always lurking in the background are household chores and other personal responsibilities. Time is a precious resource, and choosing how to spend our free time is a personal decision for all in a free society.

Like all conservation ideas, minimizing waste is a major part of the equation. If we imagine that conserving time requires dedication to efficiency, we begin to see the dual personality of our modern conveniences. Some are ready and able improvements for getting real work done, while others tend to draw us away from work altogether. We often save time so we can waste it elsewhere.

It's not a stretch to suggest that as a culture we're addicted to entertainment, whether it be movies produced by Hollywood or the television shows and sporting events that have become the "must see" pieces of our day. Even worse are video and computer games. It's easy to press a button and become involved in a virtual world. The triple play of the electronic age is to spend money on digital toys that use energy and steal away time from being responsible citizens.

Pop culture isn't the only habitual distraction that pours our time into the pool of wasted resources. The point here is that a healthy community requires a balance between individual rights and the general welfare of all people.

Participation in a free society means investing some of our free time to be duly informed of the real problems we face, locally and across the globe. The convenience of tuning these out to follow our self interests is not only choosing ignorance, it's leaving less human resources available for maintaining the privileges we enjoy and for the work to right the wrongs we complain about.

April's avalanches temporarily took away the inexpensive electrical power we have long taken for granted. The crisis had the rare effect of placing us all on common ground. But it can be a wake-up call to much more than the additional money lost alongside today's rising costs of fuel. The time taken out of busy schedules to learn new ways to conserve energy or become involved in the community reaction and response wasn't wasted as long as we learn from the experience.

Before we conveniently resume our old habits we might seriously examine how we as individuals spend our precious free time.

"Freedom isn't free" is the expression often used to drum up support to continue fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Democracy isn't a spectator sport. Politics isn't reality TV. Less time wasted in the pursuit of happiness found in the convenient ways we entertain ourselves would give us more time to contribute to preserving our cherished rights to life and liberty.