Veterans Day is a day with commiserates the ones, which fought, lost, or hurt in the war. The Veterans should be remembered for the bravery they empowered into their help other people. The Veterans gave up their own health and well being in order to better others lives. It is important to emphasize on the idea of energy conservation and its effects on a day like Veterans Day. It allows us to recognize that joined power and the inhibition of self-illusion may help us achieve better civic and divine and may allow us to organize our society for the better.
Generally speaking there has been on emphasis on energy conversation for many years, however it has not always been maintained. Many of us believe that if we produce more efficient sources we could potentially lower our reliance on fossil fuels. However, this may not be true. Jeff Dardozzi does an impeccable job at understanding the consequences of energy efficient products. Jeff Dardozzi introduces an idea, which emphasizes on the idea of consumption. He believes as technology becomes more efficient in energy usage, it drives people to increase the amount of energy we consume. He also includes the rebound effect, which consists of high demands in fuel in order to produce efficient energy sources.
The change in energy efficient sources have decreased the amount needed and would therefore lower the amount of money spent. As sources obtain a lower price, people of different classes begin to demand more supply. Our society has a great emphasis on consuming because higher demands allow our economy to grow. It is important keep consumerism in order to maintain the money circulating. However, many people hold a belief that if a source is less expensive they can then use more without the feeling of guilt. For example, high-energy efficient vehicles allow people to save many on gas, however this leads to an opportunity to travel more miles-thus using more energy.
Also, many refrigerators have been technology advanced in many ways in order to decrease electricity bills and help conserve the environment. However, the actual square footage of the “energy efficient refrigerators” has increased-, which in turn takes more energy to run. Another example is low-fat diets. Many products spread across the shelves are considered low fat and with so many advertisements promoting low-fat diets, society turns to this “better product”. However, many believe that it is okay to consume much more food as long as it is considered low fat or is low in carries. This is a great example of the Jevons Paradox where efficiency of a resource increases instead of decreasing.
Overall, the idea of resource effiency may be a myth after all. There becomes the question of whether green technology would really improve us. However, the truth is green technology would only help us make changes in a short-term aspect. We have yet to create a way to “save yourselves”. It is believed that if we switch to building more efficient buildings, we are forced to spend the remaining saved energy elsewhere. The scary part is that this money is spent in high-energy products. For example, coal is energy efficient option for energy production, however it requires more usage in order to maintain an equal amount of energy.
Despite all the gains, people are working longer and harder then ever before. The more we work, the more stuff we made, the more stuff we made, the more resources and the more environmental depletion we bring. However, it greatly increases the amount of goods that are supplied in stores. There is a major advertisement; we are forced to want to consume more every day. Advertisements show all the different sales, which are available. We are constantly reminded that the more products we purchase, the better citizens we become. This may be considered a social norm in order to follow the trends, which are exposed, to us. If consumers were to stop shopping, it would create a great downfall in economy and force us to rely on different sources. But is buying more the only answer? As energy increases purchasing power is taken out of the economy, as people will have less money to spend on consumer goods. If people do not have enough money to spend, we may return to a tolitiarian economy, which is based on debt patronage. Therefore many are convinced that if sources are energetically effiencent, it will create a better economic standpoint for many. As seen in Jevon’s Paradox, the saved energy ends up being spent elsewhere.
People have been the driving force in the ecological crisis and therefore people should be the external force to drive ecology to better known days. Many people are not satisfied with the conditions that were exposed to today, however desires are based on economy. If people do not reduce energy consumption rather then increased energy effiencent products, there will be no way out of the paradox. This change may be difficult to make when many people are self-isolated and are in a “sea of selves” and would prefer not to readjust their entire life more others. The idea of “self” being isolated revolves around the concept that illusions of freedom for the sake of collective survival and well being are conditioning us to fail. Our minds are filled with desires which lead to it is difficult to maintain others needs when you maintain your quality of living. These desires may lead people to such misery that options of anti-depressants and suicide occur. It is believed that the idea of misery brings peoples desires to a less organized state.Weve become caught up in the idea that much of what we have is our own. An example discussed was Health Care and how many of us are quite scared to loose the coverage that we have to a different plan. However this may prevent having alternative options.
F.G. Bailey also has a great take on cultural mainstream and its affect of social aspects of well-being. He believed that the idea of civic and divine makes people who they are among others and how it relates to changes being made in the world. The idea of civic revolves around set of rights and responsibilities, which a person has. However, the divide is a higher notion of change. He brings up a great point that people have lost the ability to interact with one another in order to acquire a change. It is almost as if people have lost useless body structures as seen in Human Evolution. This view greatly correlates with the Jevon’s Paradox. In Baileys idea, it emphasis on the fact that there is a way out of the tragic paradox we live in and it would be to change peoples idea of civic and divine.
I believe both Dardozzi and Bailey bring up great points about the idea of energy conservation. It is clear that the idea of green technology may not benefit as much as we are forced to believe it. It allows us to understand what the effects of energy lead to and why we are in this position where consumerism comes first.
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Bailey-Tactical Uses of Passion (1983)
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