Rethinking Lifestyle

As I write this post, the national news is full of the ice/snow storm in eastern Canada – the effect of the storm on the power grid and mobility. I always find these stories disquieting because they point to the vulnerability built into our way of life.  Residents of BC and California have earthquakes, other parts of the world have tornadoes, hurricanes and typhoons. Winnipeg and Morris are threatened with periodic floods. For us here it is the ice/snow storm.

Whenever we get a significant power outage, and we get some every year, I  marvel at how complacent we are about the whole event; how complacent we are about our vulnerability; a vulnerability that is the result of our utter dependency on grid electricity. We KNOW the day is coming when it is going to be worse – much worse.

Someone has said that our lifestyle reflects an idolatry: the worship of an idol. That idol is the status quo – we have an absolute faith that the good life we now have will continue indefinitely. We love our comfort (oh my don’t we!) so we refuse to even think of how that lifestyle precisely contributes to our vulnerability.

Some of us are old enough to recall the 1950 flood. In 1950, Winnipeg had no flood protection, and the damage to that city from that flood was extensive. Ultimately, of course, the flood waters receded, and Winnipeg rebuilt and recovered. But then Premier Duff Roblin decided the status quo was not acceptable. He found the wherewithal and exhibited the necessary leadership to build the Greater Winnpeg Floodway – at great cost. At the time, the project was the second largest earth-moving project in the world – second only to the construction of the Panama Canal.

Grand Forks, on the other hand, did little to anticipate another flood! Perhaps it lacked the leadership, perhaps Grand Forks simply worshiped the status quo, perhaps the decision makers there thought any protection would be too expensive.  Whatever the reason, it did not address its vulnerability, and in 1997 paid the price. The 1997 flood inundated Grand Forks, while Winnipeg was spared.

So how should we address our vulnerability, our dependency on grid electricity? I do not know. A comprehensive answer to that question requires study and expertise I do not have. The answer would need to take into account the technical options as well as an understanding of the risks and the costs.

We need to be honest about our cultural expectations, about our idolatries. We worship our current comforts. But if our devotion to these comforts exposes us to vulnerabilities, is it worth it? There is the comfort on the one hand, and the risk of disaster on the other hand. Are we prepared to make a rational, well thought out choice. At this time that is not even an option. The dialogue about comfort versus risk does not exist. We  blindly worship the status quo?