This blog has now moved. Please visit Zerochampion.com and update your bookmarks
I think we probably all know that the small changes some have of us have made in our lives, and are constantly reminded about doing, to reduce our environmental impact are more symbolic than really effective. Many of these, and more ambitious steps, are aimed at energy efficiency, but the more you think through the logic of this on the overall generation of CO2 the more you start to wonder the impact it is having. An article The Economist clarifies this concern, introducing a concept called the Rebound Effect.
Briefly this means that there is a clear risk that savings made by insulating houses, switching to more efficient transport or energy sources can lead to consumers using the saved money on buying new energy hungry products or flying overseas for a more expensive holidays. This can also lead to cheaper energy costs in themselves, which means more consumption, the Economist article also argues. Yesterday's frenzied sales are an example of the effect - slash the prices and the crowds come running and screaming.
A report was released last month on this by the UK Energy Research Centre. The report stresses that more work is required to really get to grips with the effect, ie the percentage of extra energy that can result in the initial savings. It recommends "building 'headroom' into policy targets to allow for rebound effects,
raising energy prices in line with energy efficiency improvements or
imposing absolute caps on emissions".
Comments