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Isn't that overdramatic?
If it's about life and death, one usually is ready to make some sacrifices. Is heating only a few rooms and to a reasonable temperature, with electricity if need be (a thermopump would be best) really too unamerican?

That wouldn't take any rationing (possibly state help, but is that communist too?). I visited old houses in Sweden (I mean 18th century), and clearly the house was smaller in the winter. Is that not better than death, though?

Moreover, if we don't quickly learn to make do with less burning of oil, there WILL be a lot of deaths. Trying to sustain for a few extra years the most unsustainable of lifestyles is not really helping.

Anyway, I want a government program of course (I am French after all). But short of that, "bring cheap oil or we'll freeze to death" while dismissing any of the lifestyle changes strikes me as the wrong reaction.

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed. Gandhi

by Cyrille (cyrillev domain yahoo.fr) on Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 at 08:36:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]
And really, freezing to death? As in literally actually, freezing to death, not just hyperbole for "damn it's cold in here"? It is quite possible to survive in a wind-tight tent with a good sleeping bad in sub-zero temperature. I assume the people have access to good quality plastic sheeting and duct tape (as recommended by their government's anti-terror agency or some such...)to tighten up those cracks in their crappy houses a bit. With a few extra blankets I simply do not see how people would freeze to death in even an unheated room. If need be, install a tent in the room to create a smaller enclosed space to heat with body heat. But freezing to death? No way!
by someone (s0me1smail(a)gmail(d)com) on Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 at 08:46:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I think it would be mostly elderly people 'freezing to death', like they also die when there is a heat wave. Pensioners on tight income without an extensive social network and not very active or able to adapt their house to the cold in the ways you suggest.

When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 at 08:56:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]
... and rather than funding a local social service infrastructure who knows where those people are living and can check out whether they are doing OK, the US needs to invade some country somewhere that has lots of oil and take it.

Mind you, the last time it was tried it cost a lot more oil than it has generated, but you never know ... look around and there might be a better, safer bet. Nigeria, maybe. 8-)# {ducks, runs for cover}

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 at 12:09:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I assume the people have access to good quality plastic sheeting and duct tape (as recommended by their government's anti-terror agency or some such...)to tighten up those cracks in their crappy houses a bit.

You know, when Homeland Security was trying to decide on a symbol, my father suggested an eagle soaring up with a strip of duct tape stretched between its talons.  My aunt, always the super-serious bureaucrat, did not see the humor.

Anyway, I suspect you're right.  It'd be uncomfortable, but talk of people freezing to death on a large scale is difficult to imagine.

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin

by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 at 08:59:19 AM EST
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