I think we are missing the big picture here. People are so brainwashed into consuming that they think nothing of writing stupid stuff like that. Why would an eco-conscious person want to use more electricity? Why would they want solar panels if they don't need them? To save the planet?
What about the cost of producing the panels? The materials and labor and carbon that goes into them? Do people ever think? What about the older but perfectly fine devices that they will throw out to replace with new "solar"-compatible gadgets?
Allison is not to be deterred. She is thinking she will throw out her good gas water heater and replace it so she can use solar water heating. She also says she is confident they will use solar for electricity, hot water, or both. Gotta have that latest gadget folks!
Here my dear friends is one reason why I am so pessimistic about our ability to solve the big problems. People just don't get it. They don't understand that the issue is one of consumption, of using too much, of throwing away good items and replacing them needlessly with other items.
Dear Allison, forget about your solar dreams. They are just another form of the consumerism that is destroying our environment. Do not throw out your good water heater. Do not buy new things unless you need them. Do not use more electricity so you can be "green."
No extra consumption is green. By definition. To be green you need to consume LESS. You need to keep using what you have and NOT buy new stuff.
2 comments:
Hm. I think you miss the point. She wrote that b/c their current electricity home consumption was so low (below $120/mo), the Solar City guy couldn't justify her switch to solar. She was clearly joking when she suggesting consuming more in order to make it worth her while. I think I'm in the same category, in my small home. My bill never gets very big, and solar electricity doesn't seem like a good deal either, at this point. I have been interested in solar water heating tho'.
And as for solar replacing an old water heater? Why not? It's going to use less fossil fuels, and that means less dependence on foreign oil, and less greenhouse gases. These are all good things. If you have a gas guzzler, it makes sense economically and environmentally to replace it with a newer more efficient car. Same thing here. Investing in appliances and equipment that use less energy is going green. Esp. if it lasts 20+ years.
Tse-Sung, Berkeley
OK, the "use more power" may have been a joke. However, we have friends who did exactly that so it is a real phenomenon and not far fetched. Writing about using more just encourages such behavior.
And that is what I am trying to point out. I have no personal battles to fight, I just want to point out faulty logic. And believe me this is quite common. As things get cheaper, people use more. They save money on electricity and then go on a trip to Hawaii. Where is the savings in greenhouse gases?
As for replacing stuff in good working condition, that should always be a no-no. It does not matter that your new device uses less energy. You are not counting the energy and greenhouse gases in producing and destroying the old one, and in producing the new one. Every time this is looked at the sum-total waste is far greater than any savings.
Furthermore are not dependent on foreign oil in any real sense. We only import about half of what we use and we surely waste much more than that. So all our "dependence" is of the addict variety.
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