This one from the economist:
The result is a testament to economic irrationality. The measures below the horizontal line have a negative abatement cost—in other words, by carrying them out, people and companies could both cut emissions and save money. At a macroeconomic level they would boost, rather than reduce, economic growth.
More here.
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Much could be said about why this “economic irrationality” exists (and I was going to do that), but here’s a more constructive approach to what to do about it:
Your Energy Use Measured Daily and on Facebook
Published: July 29, 2007
To improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions, we first need to make omnipresent the hidden facts about our usage — paint them on the world around us. …
There’s already solid evidence that feedback mechanisms can change eco-behavior. Think about how hybrid-car owners become obsessed with the dashboard display showing an on-the-fly calculation of gas mileage. The result? They change the way they drive, specifically trying to maximize mileage. It becomes a game, an enjoyable challenge, complete with quantifiable personal bests.
Here’s an even wilder idea: How about making our energy use visible to everyone? Imagine if your daily consumption were part of your Facebook page — and broadcast to your friends by RSS feed. …
The hope is that it could spawn a cascade of conservation. It’s fun seeing your personal energy tab go down by kilowatts — but just imagine watching the world’s usage plunge by terawatts or petawatts. It would be like a global Prius, with millions worldwide tweaking the Earth for maximum mileage. Now that’s fun.
See the full article here: http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/15-08/st_thompson
thats a great article and fantastic point. my new altima has a mpg meter and i find myself trying to adjust my driving to maximize mpg. i also look closely at my energy usage charts when jcpl sends the statement. water and gas usage too. i only wish they had a way to check daily or hourly so that i could see some immediate results.