Maybe We Consumers Should Lower Our Consumption of Energy — But Is It Possible?
I’ve known 2GreenEnergy reader Joe for several years now, and he’s never ceased to amaze me with his insights as a political philosopher and social critic. We hadn’t corresponded for a while, but he wrote me after having bought my book on its launch day — something for which I was quite grateful, as to whatever degree, the incremental purchase heightened the overall status of 2GreenEnergy and all we’re trying to do here.
Our conversation:
Craig: Thanks, Joe. Glad you’re still reading my stuff. I admire you.
Joe: Maybe I should be writing books instead of self-destructing as a farmer/engineer. Enjoy the weather.
Craig: Ha! We’ll, anyone with a mind like yours should most certainly be using it in every way possible. The world needs you.
Joe: That’s kinda the rub, Craig: the ‘world’ doesn’t WANT me to save it. The world just wants to not be inconvenienced. I can make things more convenient, but that’s not what the world actually needs. The human being evolved in a very inconvenient world, but its imagination has placed everyone into a world they do not live in physically. Most of humanity is hallucinating about what is important, real or useful.
The rest just spend their days in utter and total amazement that these animals could learn to speak and not forget to breathe. The world needs to just be a lot less of what it already is: Consumers. …but you go ahead and keep that cheery attitude. It makes me smile.
Craig: Yes, we’ve been manipulated into becoming ueber-consumers. Smart people have long-since figured out how to do that, and with ever-increasing precision. In the years immediately after World War II, this created an economic boom from which a great portion of our society benefited. But now, it’s threatening to destroy us, as we’ve been led to think it’s fine to consume obscene amounts of energy, that exists with ever-increasing costs.
What did you think of my pieces on “living large?” I’m wondering if we can’t somehow popularize the idea that using huge amounts of energy (230,000 calories per capita per day in the West, more than 50 times what we did 100 years ago) isn’t cool, because it’s killing all of us — both those of us here now and the as- yet-unborn.
I don’t hold out too much optimism, and you, apparently, even less. But without hope, where are we?
Joe: As Derrick Jensen points out, “Hope is what got the Jews to get on the trains to Auschwitz. Those who fought back in the ghettos had a better survival rate than those who ‘went along’.”
I have had my Water Bill down to less than 100 gal. per day. for 2 people 2 dogs (get Jacuzzi Bath weekly) 3 Cats, (no bath) 25 visitors per day in the Home Office (bathroom in waiting rm.) and 8 acre landscape (well maintained). No well on property. Avg. water in my county is 135 gal. per day each person. Yes I am a Water Auditor and I will spare you the details past what already said. I play a game when I use water/energy as if it actually mattered as much as a TV Ball Game…..I conserve to win, I dislike the other team with a passion, (Water hogs). My teams color is Blue and Green, go figure…. I drink Beer while I use a bucket to spot water plants and wear special clothes and yell YES real loud when I open my Water Bill and se the score. I have obsessed about all the numbers involved in my sport and know the history of who when where etc. I go to Sport shops (Plumbing store) and even online shop for gear to win with. In subscribe to a dozen Mags. watch video files on my computer and attend, even speak at big events on my sport…The big players in my sport are really important to me and meeting them is fun. I got complemented by one of the biggest stars of all the other day and was thrilled. I told my wife about it and was hesitant to erase the E-Mail having the complement. I have actually had lunch with the Chairman of the World Plumbing Council! There, you see I couldn’t help my self, had to brag. Can you get giddy about conservation? if you can you are on my team, if not, well your team should lose.
Passionately yours, Greg Chick, A Champion of Conservation. Certified Green Plumber.
Exactly what is meant by “We Consumers”?
Does that include people in other parts of the world who are living in extreme poverty and whose living standards cannot be raised to an acceptable level without considerably more energy?
Sure, most of us in the U.S. and other prosperous countries could comfortably get by with somewhat less energy, but people in other parts of the world cannot. Global energy consumption must greatly increase to enable the majority of the world’s people to live healthful, dignified, and safe lives. Whatever energy technology we choose must provide for that.
A switch to EV’s would probably cut UK total energy usage by about 20%, possibly more.