Consumption & Demand

The economics of decline

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Proponents of technofixes for the crisis of industrial society are fond of insisting that today’s complex technologies are “more efficient” or “more economical” than the alternatives. Behind that claim lies a series of assumptions that are likely to turn out severely misguided as the age of cheap abundant energy comes to an end.

Book review: Right Relationship Building a Whole Earth Economy

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“Right Relationship” is a book for the worrying-about-collapse weary. It is a book for those of us who realize the world we live in is in great peril and that something fundamental has to change to ensure the human story continues and flourishes. The book arises from a Quaker tradition which has had remarkable successes in the past – the abolition of slavery being only one noteworthy example.

Commentary: The Great Divide on Energy Policy

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At the 2009 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston two weeks ago, the top issues revolved around policy questions more than technology, such as drilling the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and climate change legislation. I saw little in the way of progress, however.

Halve it!

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If you are new to trying to lower your impact, or just trying to save money and energy, it can be helpful to think in terms not of giving things up, but of halving them – using a combination of techniques to stretch things out a bit, and let you use or need only half as much. Because everything you halve, means half as much pollution, half as much waste, half as much money.