tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6164913240597091741.post9045667013811519374..comments2023-06-01T23:30:37.291+10:00Comments on 2050 Vision: Sustainable Civilisation: Does energy efficiency encourage greater consumption?TBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08364685562037692444noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6164913240597091741.post-80434956382309590882008-02-24T08:10:00.000+10:002008-02-24T08:10:00.000+10:00My employment is with a port, studying the flows o...My employment is with a port, studying the flows of commodities in and out, and their drivers. One interesting thing I noted was, about 5 years ago, a huge increase in the import of air conditioners, then a drop down closer to, but still above, the long-run average. I also noted that other commodities that I would assume to have the same drivers (furniture, household items, construction items), they did not follow a similar pattern. When I asked some of the older minds about this (I have only had this employment for about 2 years), I'm told that air conditioners had a notable drop in price about this time, and lots of people put them in. Once everyone had one who was likely to want one, the volume imported settled back down.<BR/><BR/>I don't think the relative inefficiency of air conditioners had much effect on the glut. But I think that, if the energy efficiency of the items was reflected in the price, <B> then </B> we would have seen it effect people's spending.<BR/><BR/>I was reading Ross Gittins (economic editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, who I heartily recommend for making economics relevant and accessable). He was referring someone talking about taxation. Economists don't much like taxing things like work, because it discourages it. But if our tax system targeted negative things, it would discourage them. Eg - if a can of cola was taxed not for consumption, but for the energy consumed in making it, then we would buy the cheapest cola (or no cola) which would most likely be the one that used the least energy in its manufacture. Thought it was a cool way of thinking.Transcienthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16193536451765418138noreply@blogger.com