Geoengineering would turn blue skies whiter

[OKIsItJustMe]

13. Jervons was wrong

http://realclimateeconomics.org/wp/archives/654

[font face=Serif][font size=3]… the central point of Jevons’ theory was that advances in energy efficiency forced increases in energy consumption. Not merely that consumption increased despite efficiency, but that efficiency caused the increase.

So, if you believe that energy consumption would have been higher without advances in energy efficiency then, by definition, you do not also believe in the Jevons effect.

…[/font][/font]

Yes, I agree that the notion of pumping sulfates into the upper atmosphere:

1. Is misguided
2. Will be used to rationalize not doing something to address GHG levels.

But that has nothing whatsoever to do with Jervons.


This whole notion that an effort to do something good will inevitably, “result in activities which tend to lessen or undo the benefits” is just as wrong as Jervons was.

For example, could you tell me what the negative consequences were of:

• The Clean Air Act (did air pollution increase?)
• The Clean Water Act (have more rivers been catching fire?)
• The Safe Drinking Water Act

If you can’t tell me how these had the opposite result of what they were intended to accomplish, then your whole premise is faulty, and we can just forget about about Mr. Jervons and his “paradox.”