Transcript Crisis, what crisis? The significance of the 1973 Oil Embargo Jessica Gray PhD Candidate in the Department of History University of Leeds [email protected].

Crisis, what crisis? The significance
of the 1973 Oil Embargo
Jessica Gray
PhD Candidate in the Department of History
University of Leeds
[email protected]
Paper Outline
Crisis, what crisis?
The nature of crisis and the extent to which it was shaped by other
considerations and concerns.
“Common-Sense” conservation?
The extent to which the existence of crisis was able to generate
behavioural change.
Marks and Spencer: A Retailers Response
An evaluation of the significance of the commercial response, in
particular the measures and attitudes of Marks and Spencer.
Crisis, what crisis?
 S.O.S: The Initial Crisis
 Save It: The 1975 Campaign
 The National Trade Balance
 Defining the Crisis
 Domestic Energy Use
S.O.S: The Initial Crisis
15% reduction in oil
supplies in the immediate
wake of the embargo.
- Dominic Sandbrook, ‘Doomwatch: 73 – 74’, The 70s, BBC 2,
May 2012.
Save It: The 1975 Campaign
‘today, one third of the
way to 1980, Britain is
in…a most unexpected
…energy glut which will
last as far ahead as one
can see.’ - The Economist, 1976.
The National Trade Balance
The energy situation ‘has a
disproportionately large
effect on the national trade
balance, and incentive for
government to influence
energy usage will be very
great indeed’.
- J.C. Davidson November 1974
Defining the Crisis
Crises are more
than the initial events themselves.
Their constituent parts are made up of
incremental factors which combine to shape
our perceptions and our sense of crisis..
Domestic Energy Use
Cited in George F. Ray and Jenny Morel, ‘Energy Conservation in the UK’, Energy Economics (April, 1982), p. 83.
“Common-Sense” Conservation?
 The Government’s Energy
Agenda
 The Impact of Domestic Price
Rises
 The Proximity of the Crisis to
the Individual
 The Government’s utilisation
of Marks & Spencer
The Government’s Energy Agenda
‘Its objective is to change fundamentally the
attitudes and behaviour of all energy users, on the
assumption that energy for the foreseeable future is
going to become increasingly scarce and expensive.’
- David Fishlock, ‘Government launches drive to conserve energy’, Financial Times (1975).
The Impact of Domestic Price Rises
‘The real price of energy
has risen since 1973 by a
factor of five at the
macro level and only by
less than one at the
micro level’
- Ray and Morel (1982), p. 84.
‘It will be necessary
for prices to increase
by much larger
amounts, perhaps
doubling or trebling
again from now
current rates’, if
changes in behaviour
are to take place.’
- J. C. Davidson November 1974
The Proximity of the Crisis to the
Individual
‘Only Government can
engender both the sense of
urgency and the actual
urgency that is needed’.
- Central Policy Review Staff, Energy Conservation
(1974).
The Government’s utilisation of
Marks & Spencer
Reproduced courtesy of The Marks & Spencer Company Archive
Marks & Spencer’s Response to the
Crisis
 Energy Costs and Savings
 House Keeping Measures
 Research and Development
 Leading By Example
 The Lexis of the Household
Economy
Energy Costs and Savings
Reproduced courtesy of The Marks & Spencer Company Archive
House Keeping Measures
Reproduced courtesy of The Marks & Spencer Company Archive
Research and
Development
Reproduced courtesy of The Marks & Spencer
Company Archive
Leading By Example
‘Marks and Spencer
have taken the lead in
the past. This is
another occasion on
which we should be
able to set a valuable
example to the
country whilst
benefiting ourselves.’
-
Chairman Marcus Sieff, November 1974
‘By making better
use of energy they
demonstrate social
responsibility as well
as financial
common-sense.’
- Letter to Marcus Sieff from the Master of
Churchill College, Cambridge, The Times
(1974)
The lexis of the household economy
‘Waste not want not’
– St Michael News, June 1974.
‘A switch in time – could
save £½ million’
– St Michael News, February 1975.
‘“Save It” at home as well
as at work’
– St Michael News, February 1980.
‘Which is why, just as a family
does, M&S is always looking at
ways in which it can keep the
bills down’ – St Michael News,
August 1987.
‘We can’t afford to rest
on our laurels. Either
at work or at home.
We must not relax our
efforts because we’ve
got to save for our
future now!’ – St Michael News,
June 1977.
Summary
 There was a clear sense of crisis in the wake of the 1973 oil
embargo.
 By 1975 this sense of crisis was increasingly shaped by wider factors
and concerns.
 The ability of crisis to generate behavioural change in the long term
is limited without additional influence and conditioning.
 Marks and Spencer visibly engaged with the topic of energy
conservation and sought to place itself within the wider national
trajectory.
 The Company also made a clear effort to initiate wider behavioural
change by cultivating a clear parallel between their own efforts and
that of the householder.
Bibliography
Primary Source Material:
‘Energy through pressure’, Economist, 26 June 1976 (London: England), pp. 62 – 63
The Central Policy Review Staff, Energy Conservation: A Study by The Central Policy review Staff (Her Majesty’s
Stationery Office, London, July 1974)
Archival collections:
The Marks & Spencer Company Archive
John Lewis Partnership Archive Collection
Sainsbury Archive
The National Archives
Contemporary Literature:
Ray, George F., and Jenny Morel, ‘Energy Conservation in the UK’, Energy Economics (April, 1982), pp. 83 – 97
Secondary Literature:
Sandbrook, Dominic, ‘Doomwatch: 73 – 74’, The 70s, BBC 2, May 2012