Energy Efficiency, the Jevons Paradox, and the Elephant in the Room: Overpopulation

Some blog followers might be interested in a recent post of the above title. The abstract reads:

ABSTRACT: David Goldstein (2004) has claimed that (paraphrasing):

"enlightened energy efficiency policy can have much greater effects on environmental problems than any of the solutions proposed by Bartlett (2004) - stopping population growth - or Weisz (2004) - close international cooperation, peace, and security.”

The Jevons Paradox (or "rebound effect"): technological progress that increases the efficiency with which a resource is used, tends to increase (rather than decrease) the rate of consumption of that resource would tend to counter Goldstein's claim.

But four reports brought to my attention by Goldstein either neglect rebound effects or regard their influence as relatively small. But even if rebound effects are small can "enlightened energy efficiency policy" by itself tame the ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: OVERPOPULATION?

To access the complete 35 kB post please click on http://tinyurl.com/ylb8tdt .

REFERENCES

Hake, R.R. 2009. “Energy Efficiency, the Jevons Paradox, and the Elephant in the Room: Overpopulation,” online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at http://tinyurl.com/ylb8tdt . Post of 9 Oct 2009 11:52:01-0700 to AERA-L, Net-Gold, & Physoc.