The Paradox of Energy Efficiency

[joshcryer]

16. Socialism or high regulation. Rebound is a definite characteristic of capitalism.

You also need a technological transformation so that the rebound itself doesn't have an effect, ie, if you're going to make all cars more efficient you might as well get rid of cars and have large scale public transportation that is itself more efficient. Then those people who want to go on vacations after saving money in fuel costs will be able to take the large scale environmentally friendly public transportation.

You would have to make CO2 have an externalized cost so that people wouldn't just go "oh I am saving money by using this new technology so I can spend that money elsewhere on dirty technology." They would be forced to consider buying dirty vs clean and would, because dirty is more expensive, avoid it.

15 years from now when progressives are talking about implementing such a tax some capitalists will come along and bitch and say that right wingers were thinking of it (making spurious connections, but connections that none the less exist). They have us eating our own and we're fucked for it.