JEVONS' PARADOX

Economist W. Stanley Jevons came up with what is called the rebound theory from his publishing,

The Coal Question (1865). It was his explanation of coal consumption and the efficiency of steam engines where this paradox is drawn from. Basically rebound effect is when you improve upon a way in which you consume something in efforts to reduce the product you are consuming thus reducing the demand for this product. But in reality the demand for the product ends up growing. Jevons example was coal and the steam engine. An example of this is that say you keep your homes heat at 65 degrees F. But then you replace all the windows in your home and your home now takes less gas to heat reducing your bill saving you money. So demand for winter heating gas goes down right? Wrong people will now bump up there heat to 68 degrees F because now the can get that temp. for the price of 65 degrees F thus spiking demand. No matter what other example you want to fill in here it seem the trend is that when a decrease in use in one product occurs we find a way to either increase the demand through more consumption or increase the demand of another related product. Instead of saving the money we safe from this we tend to spend (or redistribute if you will) it in other place, never reducing demands.

We have a free trade Capitalistic Global society that is build around spending, spending and more spending. Especially in the US the fascination and desire to have Consumer goods is unprecedented. This economic set up has put us in a situation that if we stop spending the economic cycle would stop. This would lead to loss of jobs and massive economic issues which would bring on an array of societal problems. Our economy is set up so that one buys goods which gives jobs in retail, they you need manufacturing jobs to make the goods. You need jobs in transportation and warehousing to ship and store goods. Its kind of like a tree because each one leads to another branch with the branches representing jobs with the tree trunk being consumptions of resources cause that's where all processes originate from.

BBC documentary Century of the Self (2002) by Adam Curtis states that "the systematic transformation of a society by corporate Americainto a sea of "selves" and how our steadfast refusal to surrender illusions of freedom for the sake of collective survival and well-being are conditioning us to fail." Sea of "selves" meaning that we are so caught up in our own needs, wants, desires that we fail to see the big picture and if we don't change our ways of thinking we are not going to be prepared when we run out of the precious resources we take for granted. Our me first mentality has damaging effects on us as a society and is damaging to our planted at the same time. In essence we are killing two birds with one stone.

F.G Bailey author of Tactical Uses of Passion (1983) has a notion of how the civic and divine shape us socially. When he talks about the civic he is referring to the "set of rights, obligations and responsibilities that bind the collective to the individual and vice versa." This meaning that this is where our organization, structure and drive to accomplish from while "the divine alludes to the notion of something greater than one's self and that the activities of the collective are significant in relation to the world." This meaning that the divine portion is where we can draw from to break away form the me first and think in terms of us first for the greater good of all not just oneself.

After reading the Spector of Jevons' Paradox by Jeff Dardozzi feel the same way I have felt before I read the reading. I feel its a very difficult task for change. Also I feel its hard to truly know what we are really facing down the road. But I strongly advocated before this reading that any changes that are to be made that will have a profound effect are going to have to start at the social and societal levels, then the new science and technologies can add the needed finishing touches. I feel there is a lot of good points in this reading, that I agree with. But as stated before in class how far is anyone willing to go to make lasting effective changes. I personally know my stance and limitations and who knows for sure if that's going to be good enough or is it even needed at all. So over all I have not been truly moved or swung in either direction I still reside in the middle on the issues.

In closing I feel that this was assigned to us around the Veterans day holiday because there are currently Americans all over the world that are putting their life's on the line and dieing to protect American interests in everything from freedom, safety and yes the securing of fossil fuels for our consumption. American military personal have been doing this for the people of this country for centuries and with out them and there honor, bravery, discipline and love for the US and its people life how we know it would not be the same. Unfortunately there are many Americans who don't realize this and take for granted this peoples sacrifices, bet that's because the are stuck in the "what mattes most is me" mode. I personally am grateful for all the efforts and service they provide and wish them all safe returns home.

---Quotes and information furnished by The Spector of Jevons' Paradox by Jeff Dardozzi