The Energy Crises of the 70s

Here’s an interesting and important read in the history of energy-efficient building. The spring board, in fact, that shifted how Americans use energy. The energy crises of the 1970s changed the way we think about natural resources, inspired environmental advocacy, and laid the ground work for the establishment of the Department of Energy in August 1977. The seeds of environmental awareness had already taken root: Rachel Carson’s 1962 Silent Spring, the first U.S. Earth Day on April 22, 1970. But it was the Energy Crisis of 1973–74 that served as the real wake-up call for most Americans. The embargo created gas shortages, led to rationing and long lines at gas stations, and made gasoline more expensive.