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Speaking for organized labor, Paul Hall, president of the Seafarers' International Union, tore into the big U.S. oil companies for hiring low-wage foreign crews to man their flag-of-convenience tankers. "In this big country of ours, you don't have any friends," he thundered. "You are the national goats." Yale Professor Paul MacAvoy had much the same message for the federal agencies created during the past few years to deal with growing energy problems. In MacAvoy's opinion, these agencies have only confused and compounded the difficulties. One main charge: projects funded by the Energy Research and Development Administration are "tipped toward exotic, costly and far-in-the-future projects." MacAvoy hopes that the creation of a Department of Energy would put research emphasis where, in his view, it belongs—on cleaning up coal and rendering nuclear power less potentially dangerous.
ENERGIZING THE PUBLIC. The American public is not yet fully convinced that a genuine energy crisis exists—but an awareness is rapidly growing. Even environmentalists are beginning to grasp the need for finding and developing new energy sources. To enlist public support in coping with the crisis, Government and industry alike must be open and candid.
Schlesinger was the keynote speaker at the final session. After his address, Pollster Daniel Yankelovich, whose attaché case was crammed with the latest pulse readings on energy questions, said: "The broad outline of the program he presented seemed to me to be consonant with what we understand about public attitudes." Energy, declared Panelist Yankelovich, now ranks along with crime and high taxes as a major public concern. Concluded Yankelovich: "If there is creative policy leadership, the public will be willing to bite the bullet."
John Gardner, retiring chairman of Common Cause, provided a checklist on how to make the bullet more palatable. His ideas: give the public all the relevant information; don't try to con the people. Be sure that sacrifices are generally shared. Beware of allowing situations to drift into major crises in hopes of galvanizing public opinion. A crisis can indeed do that, but it is a weapon that cannot be aimed.
Illinois Republican John Anderson, who may serve on the House Select Committee on Energy, warned that inflation could easily develop into the most serious obstacle for a comprehensive energy plan. In his opinion, the public will reject any energy program that threatens to erode still further the purchasing power of their already inflation-stricken salaries.
On that mixed chord of caution and confidence ended Time Inc.'s Energy Conference '77. For the U.S. at large, the crucial debate over energy is only now beginning. There is, sadly, a substantial chance for blunders that could undermine the nation's economic strength and paralyze its political leadership in the world. There is also the unashamedly optimistic vision suggested by Schlesinger that the U.S. energy adversity will help to create a new "social compact" among diverse and disaffected groups.