Less of a resource THAN otherwise, easy to show.
Less absolutely..harder to show..wait, let me look for my buggy-whip.

In other words, the "less" has to be framed as "less than otherwise". And the
"led to" martin mentions implies causality, as if more efficiency CAUSED more
use than otherwise. There are examples in both directions. Insulate fairly
modern homes and the occupants use less fuel for heating THAN OTHEWRISE,.
Insulate poorly insulated homes of low income people and the occupants may use
MORE heat than before their houses were insulated (Scott 1980; Scott and Capper
1982) because of very complex income, price, and utility effects.

For transport, well, ah um its more complex when time becomes more valuable than
fuel and so it goes.



Lee Schipper
EMBARQ Fellow
EMBARQ, the WRI Center for Sustainable Transport
www.embarq.wri.org
and
Visiting Scholar
UC Transportation Center
Berkeley CA USA www.uctc.net
skype: mrmeter
+1 510 642 6889
Cell +1 202 262 7476


-----Original Message-----
From: the-commons@yahoogroups.com [mailto:the-commons@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of martin.strid@...
Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 6:34 AM
To: the-commons@yahoogroups.com
Subject: SV: [The Commons] Critique on Amory Lovins / RMI


I defy you to show me one instance where a more resource efficient technology
has led to less use of resources and not to increased use of technology.

Amike vin salutas

#ЄЭ#
Martin Strid

´´·.¸¸.·´¯` ·.¸¸.·´´·.¸¸.·´¯` ·.¸
´´·.¸¸.·´¯` ·.¸¸.·´´·.¸¸.·´¯` ·.¸
http://2-2.se <http://2-2.se/>


________________________________

Från: the-commons@yahoogroups.com [mailto:the-commons@yahoogroups.com] För
eric.britton
Skickat: den 25 februari 2008 18:39
Till: NewMobilityCafe@yahoogroups.com; The-commons@yahoogroups.com
Kopia: BE.Buscher@...
Ämne: [The Commons] Critique on Amory Lovins / RMI



Der Colleagues,

This commentary which just slipped in over the transom is something that I share
with you not to demean the intelligence or good intentions of Amory Lovins as a
person or thinker, but because the rather vigorous author -- to my mind -- puts
his finger right on a very important weak point in the present sustainability
debate. Other than that let me give the stage to the author for his trenchant
commentary.

Eric Britton

From: Bram Büscher [mailto:BE.Buscher@... <mailto:BE.Buscher@...> ]

Sent: 25 February 2008 03:23

To: EANTH-L@...

Subject: [Spam] Critique on Amory Lovins / RMI



Dear All,

I was at the Berlin conference of the Human Dimensions of Global Change
yesterday and attended a (video conference) presentation by dr. Amory Lovins of
the Rocky Mountain institute. I have seen few people so bluntly reduce all
environmental problems (and the politics around it) to technological fetishes
(apparently accessible to all?).

He also advocated another book of his and colleagues entitled 'Natural
Capitalism' that again combines all the good and the ugly into a 'profitable'
'win-win' mix for all of humankind and nature... On the website of the book
(natcap.org) it says that they want to publish cheers and jeers, but that 'so
far, the book has received almost pure praise and that frankly, this is a bit
embarrassing'.

Now, personally, I cannot imagine this, and wonder whether anybody on the list
has some suggestions for critical literature/articles. Basically, I'm looking
for some more practical armour in the face of people who so optimistically go
about selling such grand illusions.

Thanks,

Bram