3 ms·
Introducing energy efficiency measures does cause usage to go down in the short term, but assuming demand is elastic, then it will go up over time as people con
by danieltillett 9y ago
Introducing energy efficiency measures does cause usage to go down in the short term, but assuming demand is elastic, then it will go up over time as people consume more.
Where Jevons Paradox has most utility is showing the futility of unilateral individual action. Don't think you are doing anything to help the environment by turning off that light switch.
- omgwtfbyobbq 9y agoTurning off a light switch isn't futile, it's just not optimal. What you're describing can happen, but isn't common. In that situation, someone using less decreases price such that someone else uses more to the point where price recovers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_elasticity_of_demand#Effect_on_total_revenue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_elasticity_of_demand#Eff... In the real world, efficiency increases aren't perfect, and we do use something more if it's efficient, but the vast majority of the time, the efficiency increase still reduces usage. It's usually not a maximal reduction because of the redbound effect (except for some appliances), but in every recent case, overall emergy use does drop. https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/20010730_RS20981_bebfb5655ab124bbbc7f8e4a7791e4316b7ed83f.pdf https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/20010730_RS20981_bebfb5...