The vast bulk of global energy production does not go towards "cheap plastic crap" or vacationing. It goes towards transportation (which affects the base cost o

The vast bulk of global energy production does not go towards "cheap plastic crap" or vacationing. It goes towards transportation (which affects the base cost of practically all economic activity), industrial uses that are essential to healthcare, construction, and agriculture, and the heating and cooling of our living spaces and places of work. These expenditures will only increase as the world's human population increases to a projected ceiling of around 10 billion. In addition, replacements for "cheap plastic crap" may consume more energy to produce, even if their production emits less carbon. There are certainly efficiency gains to be had. They will not be made overnight. America's housing stock alone can't be replaced in a week, or a year, or a decade with hyper-insulating, low-emission construction materials. Changing from one mode of construction, consumption, or production to another has an energy cost, too. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25133463-500-how-to-understand-world-energy-use-in-10-graphs/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25133463-500-how-to-u... https://www.e-education.psu.edu/earth104/node/1346 https://www.e-education.psu.edu/earth104/node/1346 https://ourworldindata.org/future-population-growth https://ourworldindata.org/future-population-growth