Abstract:
Energy Efficiency – Urban Myths and Paradoxes
Bernard J. Bulkin, Dr., UK Sustainable Development Commission and Chairman, Chemrec AB
There is certainly no question that energy efficiency is the greatest, most cost effective, opportunity we have in a drive towards sustainable development. It attacks climate change, it makes our economy stronger and more productive, and it promotes social equity by meaningfully reducing the proportion of income required for energy by the poorest segment of the population. So we may ask, why is this not aggressively pursued by society? Why doesn’t government in all countries insist on giving highest priority to radical improvement in the efficiency with which we consume our energy? The answer seems to be that no one believes it will work. Some government policy makers say, well, we have tried this before and it had no meaningful results. Others take refuge in Jevon’s Paradox, effectively saying that if we use energy more efficiently that will not result in meaningful savings, but rather in an increase in consumption. In this brief talk, I will show that Jevon’s Paradox is one of those oft repeated but largely false ideas that have propagated through our discussion of energy. We need to refute this idea decisively and get on with the job.