Sustainable energy key to simplifying

Thank you for the excellent front page article on the Strickland family and their efforts to simplify their lives. (Thursday, “How an Everett family is learning to live well with less.”) Sarah Jackson hit most of the relevant and important points, and I commend her for a fine article. I especially appreciate the emphasis on localized sourcing of food.

However, one key piece of information was omitted. That is the growing awareness that we are rapidly approaching the end of cheap, plentiful sources of hydrocarbon fuels such as crude oil and natural gas. Many are aware of this circumstance, Jim Strickland included, and it is a significant factor in their efforts to simplify.

Ms. Jackson mentioned Cecile Andrews, keynote speaker at the 2007 (not 2006) Sustainable Energy Fair. She might also have mentioned Julian Darley, founder and director of the Post Carbon Institute and keynote speaker at the 2006 fair, as well as Charlie Stephens, contributor to the “Limits to Growth” Project and keynote speaker at the 2008 fair.

This pressing and imminent change in our energy situation is worthy of close scrutiny by The Herald, by local policymakers and by every citizen of Everett and Snohomish County.

Finally, I recommend Green Everett to all who are giving any thought to simplifying and re-localizing their lives. It is what we are about. Currently we are looking at a British model called The Transition Culture, which focuses on a community-based approach to making the transition from a society dependent on cheap and plentiful energy to one that can do with less while maintaining a high quality of life.

Jackie Minchew

Everett