Development vs. Depletion

Is “failing to plan for the future” an American value, or an anti-American value? Real estate speculators seem to care only about making money and not about the long term well-being of their customers.
by Ronald Cooke

Why aren’t real estate developers taking oil depletion into consideration in their community plans?
The proposed 25,000 acre Martis Valley Community Plan calls for the development of over 6,000 new housing units – enough development for a total urban population of around 20,000 – plus up to 600,000 square feet of stores and restaurants, and three golf courses, on 25,500 acres along California Highway 267. This stretch of grassy plain and mountain pine woods is located next to Truckee, California, and is just over a Sierra mountain ridge from beautiful Lake Tahoe. The average altitude is just over 6,000 feet. Martis Valley, which is generally warm and dry in the Summer, is usually cold and covered with snow in the winter.

The Martis Valley Community Plan is very typical of development proposals now before County and Municipal agencies throughout the United States. It assumes there will always be enough fuel to heat the planned homes and commercial space, as well as enough fuel to support the transportation needs of the community. Propane, natural gas, gasoline and diesel are the petroleum lifeline of any community. They will be especially important to the people who buy homes and businesses in Martis Valley because this is a very energy intensive development. The warm summers will prompt the demand for air conditioning. The cold winters will place a heavy burden on fuel for heat. For most of the residents, Martis Valley will be a second home and the assumption is that they will commute from 90 to 500 miles every time they want to use it.

http://www.progress.org/2005/energy38.htm