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So I often read on here that tech is just making things better and cheaper. We’re surrounded by praises for progress. It might be true that tech is important to

So I often read on here that tech is just making things better and cheaper. We’re surrounded by praises for progress. It might be true that tech is important to making things accessible for all however, we seem to have more tech than ever yet the prices of everything are skyrocketing. So what’s the cause? Corruption ? Climate change ? Is it a misapplication of technology at a scale where we’ve damaged soil and the climate so food is just too hard to produce ? A combination of everything perhaps ? Last night I turned the A/C and I felt bad for two reasons, the climate and then mostly, the cost, why is it more expensive to run my heater now than ten years ago? What went wrong ?

theamk 2y ago
Re costs rising: it's called inflation. It is mostly dependent on government decisions, and is not directly affected by the technology and progress. For your specific home heating/cooling example: in general, if you adjust for inflation, the electricity is cheaper than 10 years ago [0]. Gas is much more variable, but right now it's slightly cheaper than 10 years ago [1]. That's national averages. Your particular case might be more complex - your state might have added new taxes, that'd increase price. Or your home might be more efficiently insulated and your A/C system could be more efficient too - this will decrease price. [0] https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/electricity-prices-adjusted-for-inflation/ https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/electricity-... [1] https://www.aga.org/research-policy/resource-library/energy-insights-residential-natural-gas-prices-expected-to-drop/ https://www.aga.org/research-policy/resource-library/energy-...
Supermancho 2y ago
Capitalism captures savings from automation as fast as it is enacted, for the most part (jevons paradox also applies). Funny enough, shortages are priced in before they occur, due to traditional financial planning. Inflation is a separate pressure, which rises more-or-less evenly, regardless of automation savings.

theamk 2y ago

Re costs rising: it's called inflation. It is mostly dependent on government decisions, and is not directly affected by the technology and progress. For your specific home heating/cooling example: in general, if you adjust for inflation, the electricity is cheaper than 10 years ago [0]. Gas is much more variable, but right now it's slightly cheaper than 10 years ago [1]. That's national averages. Your particular case might be more complex - your state might have added new taxes, that'd increase price. Or your home might be more efficiently insulated and your A/C system could be more efficient too - this will decrease price. [0] https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/electricity-prices-adjusted-for-inflation/ https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/electricity-... [1] https://www.aga.org/research-policy/resource-library/energy-insights-residential-natural-gas-prices-expected-to-drop/ https://www.aga.org/research-policy/resource-library/energy-...

Supermancho 2y ago

Capitalism captures savings from automation as fast as it is enacted, for the most part (jevons paradox also applies). Funny enough, shortages are priced in before they occur, due to traditional financial planning. Inflation is a separate pressure, which rises more-or-less evenly, regardless of automation savings.