Richard Heinberg says that high oil prices caused the current recession.

We need to burn fewer fossil fuels and release less carbon to slow down climate change. And because of rising demand from developing nations and decreasing supply, it’s easy to see that our economy needs to kick its addiction to fossil fuels for purely economic reasons.

Richard Heinberg and others argue that it was not the subprime mortgage crisis that led to today’s recession, the worst downturn since the 1930s, but that high energy costs were the true culprit.

We all remember paying $4 for gas just before the collapse of September 2009. Similarly, the previous half dozen recessions were all preceded by high energy costs.

Coincidence?

If energy spikes causes recessions, then, in a time of depleting supply and rising energy costs, the only alternative to a stomach-churning ride of economic ups and downs is to start to wean the economy off of fossil fuels.

Indeed, if energy is the basis of today’s economy — even the standard of value for the U.S. dollar, as some have argued — then no lasting recovery will be possible as long as we rely on depleting fossil fuels.

No amount of bank bailouts, stimulus spending, or low interest rates will make much difference unless we kick our coal and oil habit.

The sooner the better for our families and communities, especially in Staunton and Augusta County, where more than 95% of our energy comes from sources outside of our area.

That means dollars leaking out of the community. But even worse, it means local families and businesses are held hostage to national and international energy markets.

It’s time to declare local energy independence, the only path to energy security  with good jobs and lasting prosperity.