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Are you prone to green compensation?
Just read an excellent blog from Paul Horrell on the BBC's new site www.loveearth.com. He makes the point of individuals green compensating one way (say, buying a device to get better performance from the same amount of electricity, rather than reducing the overall amount of electricity used). As he says in his conclusion: "Remember, environmentalism isn’t about living a bigger material life on the same planetary footprint. The very least we can do is live the same life on a smaller footprint."
I have the same dilemma to face. Last year I opted for my utility to provide me with only electricity from renewable energy sources (at a premium). One side of me says that I should use what I like now, since the only factor is the cost of the electricity. The other side of me says "Hold on, it's not just about that, it's about saving on overall consumption."
Has anyone else had this dilemma?
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1 Comment
I worried about this when I signed up for my utility's (PG&E's "Climate Smart") carbon offset program. But it turns out I still feel like conserving. Maybe I don't fully trust carbon offset programs.
A spot where we really see that compensation happen is called "Bounce back effect" where a homeowner insulates the attic "to save energy" and then sets the thermostat up since it is more affordable with insulation in place. Typically the energy usage drops but not as much as if the thermostat was not raised. Maybe it is a Share-the-savings approach where we do something but the environment only gets half the benefit and we upgrade our lifestyle to consume the other half. Maybe we need to do twice as many things or do them further.