Energy is something we can't do without. It's been that way since homo sapiens were living in caves. Wood-burning fires helped protect people from dangerous carnivores, kept caves warm and provided light at night. In short, it was basic.
But in much of this century, many of us have taken the availability of affordable energy for granted. We expect that when we turn on the heat at home, it will work. Since the energy shocks of the 1970s, we've expected the cost won't break the bank. Likewise, getting gasoline from the filling station is easy and has been readily available at a reasonable price.
