March 19, 2012
The Siren Song of Energy Efficiency
Introduction
Toyota, via PR Newswire Whatever happened to “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”? Now many civic-minded Americans ask themselves not how to avoid buying stuff, but rather what to buy: that shiny new hybrid in the driveway, the energy-efficient appliances in the kitchen, the right light bulb.
Does this pay off for the planet, or does the quest for efficiency distract from more effective approaches to cutting carbon output? What can consumers do that would be more effective?
Read the Discussion »Debaters
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Efficiency’s Promise: Too Good to Be True
Nearly every device we use today is more efficient than whatever its equivalent was in 1970. Yet energy consumption has soared.
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Don’t Think of Yourself as a ‘Consumer’
Individual choice, even when multiplied by millions, seldom has the power to create the kind of deep and lasting change needed to stabilize the climate.
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Beware of the Rebound Effect
If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, efficient products can help. Just be vigilant after making the switch.
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Your Wheels Send a Message. You Decide What.
If people fantasize about reducing their carbon footprints and want to buy a hybrid to trumpet that goal, who are we to argue?
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When Prices Are Wrong, Markets Don’t Work
If fuel combustion hurts third parties and the planet, increase fossil fuel prices enough through taxation to account for these effects.
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