Air Date: Week of October 16, 1998

This week, facts about... Twenty-five years ago this month, members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, cut off all oil exports to the U.S. And so began America's infamous oil crisis.

Transcript

CURWOOD: Twenty-five years ago this month, the United States supported Israel in its 18-day October War with Syria and Egypt. To fight back, the Middle Eastern members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, cut off all oil exports to the US. And so began America's infamous Oil Crisis. Along with long lines and steep prices at the pump, many Americans were introduced to the concept of energy efficiency. The Nixon Administration funded research and development of alternative sources like solar power to help wean the country of its dependence on fossil fuels. But the alternative energy boom has since waned. And some energy experts fear current conditions are ripe for another oil cutoff. The US depends even more on foreign oil today than it did in 1973. And recently, energy prices have been hitting record lows, just like before the embargo. And for this week, that's the Living on Earth Almanac.