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Peak Oil Drives Change: Cuba’s Response

May 10th, 2010

Experts predict there will be a global peak in oil production some time between 2012 and 2020. From this point on, it will become increasingly difficult to extract oil. As a result, oil prices will go up and global oil production will experience a rapid decline. Oil-dependent economies such as ours will be forced to find other sources of energy.

Energy Adversity

Cuba has already experienced a rapid decline in oil resources. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba’s oil imports dropped from around 14 million tonnes per year to just 4 million. A series of imposed embargoes by the US further worsened Cuba’s situation and the nation was forced into self-sufficiency. Energy adversity threatened to cripple Cuba, but it didn’t. The crisis forced them to adapt. From individuals to communities to the nation as a whole, together they faced the crisis and altered their way of life. What at first seemed a disaster, has resulted in huge benefits for Cuba as a nation and an economy.

Cubans refer to the era after the Soviet collapse as “the special period”. It was a time when the whole country was forced to unite in adversity, transforming the national lifestyle. But they would be the first to admit, the transformation was far from easy. With the dramatic decrease in oil imports, it was impossible for Cuba to produce the electricity needed by the economy.

The result was regular nationwide blackouts that could last for up to 16 hours at a time. Cars were no longer a viable option since there wasn’t enough fuel to go around. Cubans were waiting up to three hours for a bus to work, and the same again to catch one home. The production of food dramatically decreased. Cuban agriculture was devastated by the oil crisis. Fuel and parts for tractors were almost impossible to find and chemical fertilizers were no longer available. Transportation was brought to a halt, making it impossible to distribute food throughout the country, and US embargoes prevented Cuba from importing food supplies. Malnutrition became a major problem and the average Cuban lost 30 lbs through food shortages.

Keeping Recession At Bay

In the first five years following the Soviet collapse, the Cuban government set food rations to keep recession at bay. The Cuban people began to utilise every available space for gardening and growing their own organic produce. They had to teach themselves how to farm the old fashioned way. The government followed the peoples’ initiative and introduced a nationwide scheme called Urban Gardens. In Cuba’s towns and cities, every vacant lot was turned into farmland in a desperate attempt to feed the citizens. Today, the Urban Gardens scheme employs around 140,000 people and each city has enough garden to produce the fruit and vegetables it needs. The key to success in Cuba was the steps taken at grass-roots level. Communities worked together to provide food for those that couldn’t supply themselves, such as the elderly and the sick. Nelso Aguila, a Cuban engineer turned farmer, grows food for the neighbourhood on his rooftop farm. Every inch of the 100 sq ft space is utilised; to rear rabbits, hens and grow vegetables. Organic farming methods had to be introduced to large-scale agriculture as well as at a local level. The government split up the large-scale state farms into smaller local farms and co-operatives. Tens of thousands of acres of land were leased, rent free, to small farmers to increase levels of food production. The use of fertilizers in farming is extremely bad for the soil, killing off micro flora and fauna within. It took Cuba five years of hard graft to make the land fertile and productive again. Today, 80% of Cuba’s agricultural production is organic.

Cuba is a beacon of hope as the world approaches its very own global oil crisis. The steps taken by individuals, communities, and by the Cuban government have allowed the country to survive and prosper as a self-sufficient nation. They are no longer an oil-dependent economy, and they are healthier for it. We must follow their lead. The word “crisis” comes from the Greek noun krisis, meaning choice or decision. We can all make a conscious choice now. We can choose to start producing our own food in an organic and sustainable way, we can choose to reduce our energy needs and seek greener ways of producing energy, we can choose to take the bike instead of the car. In making those choices, we can each overcome energy adversity, and move toward a healthier future. When global peak oil hits, we will no longer have a choice.

To read the full article ‘Peak Oil Drives Change’ and to view other eco articles visit the Inspired Times website on the link below.

http://www.inspiredtimesmagazine.com/inspiringarticles