Save Energy

Illustration of a black and white badger wearing a white t-shirt with black and red text on it, sitting on green grass and tipping a red oil can upside down

In 1973, an embargo on oil by the OAPEC caused prices to skyrocket to nearly 400% of their previous value. This caused massive shortages across the country, leading to a widespread push to conserve energy that lasted for several years after the official end of the crisis. Americans were asked not to use Christmas lights and there was a federal speed limit of 55 MPH on any road across the country. An aggressive advertising campaign run by the Advertising Council entitled, "Don't Be Fuelish," urged Americans to conserve their oil use. The crisis boosted interest in renewable energy, most notably solar power which had not been widely discussed before the shortages, and more generally pushed the U.S. to lessen their dependency on oil.