I don't know Lovins personally but the contradiction that David Delaney speaks about is hardly unique to Lovins. Stanley Jevons identified the "rebound effect" in the nineteenth century -- the notion that increased efficiency simply leads to lower cost and consequently accelerated (rather than decreased) exploitation of natural resources. And that was before the "Borrow. Spend. Buy. Waste. Want." ethic of mid-20th century American capitalism took hold. Today we no longer even acknowledge the artificial nature of the advertising, consumer credit and planned obsolescence fueled "economy" (which is anything but "economic"). Read about it in mid-20th century books by Vance Packard -- The Waste Makers, The Hidden Persuaders -- and The Affluent Society by John Kenneth Galbraith.
The idea that we can have both technology-driven "conservation" and socially-mandated waste through advertising, credit and planned obsolescence is patently absurd. It's driving with both the brake pedal and the gas pedal pressed to the floor. On Sun, Sep 19, 2010 at 6:23 PM, Arthur Cordell <[email protected]> wrote: > Amory Lovins did some contract work for the Science Council and so I got to > know him a little. My read is that he is as bright as you say. I think he > is an irrepressible techno-optimist. That all problems have solutions, if > we only look at things in a certain way. > > Arthur > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of David Delaney > Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2010 2:27 PM > To: [email protected] > Cc: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION' > Subject: Re: [Ottawadissenters] Amory Lovins latest book > > Amory Lovins is a deeply disappointing man. He is a genius. But his genius > adroitly fails to > to acknowledge or address in any way the elephant in his work room. He has > built a stunningly > clever body of work, the work of a lifetime, on industrial and societal > efficiency in the use of resources, but ignores > the fact that systemic efficiency worsens the problem he purports to solve > with it: the threat to the existence of civilization posed by over-use of > the world. > > After years, decades even, of shaking my head in puzzlement over the > contradictions he embodies, I have, sadly, come to the conclusion that this > magnificently creative man must be a captive of his venal impulses. It's the > only conclusion that seems to make sense of him. > > > > On 2010-09-19, at 1:41 PM, Arthur Cordell wrote: > >> >> >> Subject: Amorey Lovins >> >> >> >> Arthur; in case you missed this you can download his latest book. >> >> Roger >> >> >> >> http://www.oilendgame.com >> > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ottawadissenters/ > > <*> Your email settings: > Individual Email | Traditional > > <*> To change settings online go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ottawadissenters/join > (Yahoo! ID required) > > <*> To change settings via email: > [email protected] > [email protected] > > <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > [email protected] > > <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > -- Sandwichman _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
