Imagine somebody a hundred years ago saying: "Should we aim to reduce calorie intake per person over time? Absolutely not. Calorie intake per capita is effec

Imagine somebody a hundred years ago saying: "Should we aim to reduce calorie intake per person over time? Absolutely not. Calorie intake per capita is effectively our standard of living." ...well yes it was, until some day it wasn't any more. Energy per capita is only a proxy for standard of living. You can build a well-insulated modern house that needs a fraction of the energy required to heat a 1930's house with similar size, but nobody will say the person living in the modern house is poorer for that. Compared globally, access to technologies that allow the same convenience with less energy is a better indicator for our standard of living.