A new report finds 24 states have yet to establish an “energy efficiency resource standard," which has been shown to curb demand, lower costs and reduce emissions.

  • @Skyrmir
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    217 hours ago

    Ok, try aluminum. Used to be super rare, rarely used. Now you can’t throw a cat without hitting some. Production efficiency went through the roof, price dropped like a rock, and suddenly there’s aluminum things everywhere. Efficiency created far greater demand due to the drop in cost. Energy is even more useful than aluminum, it literally makes aluminum. And yet, we’re using less, as we get more efficient at making it.

    • HubertManne
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      417 hours ago

      aluminum replaces other materials in its use. energy is its own thing. using more aluminum for no real reason would not be good but we replaced things we made with other materials with aluminum once it was common but we don’t use it for things aluminum would not be a better material to use it for.

      • @Skyrmir
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        116 hours ago

        Energy is a base commodity, no different than aluminum, plywood, orange juice, oil or eggs. All of which increase as the population, thus demand and production, increase. And aluminum is used in a lot of structural applications where other materials would be far superior, but aluminum is a hell of a lot more affordable. It’s not that it’s the best material, it’s the best material at that price, due to cheap efficient production.

        • HubertManne
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          17 hours ago

          Exactly. Its a fungible item that can replace or be replaced by other things which energy is not. And your right that increased population will increase demand but we don’t want to be increasing demand of anything as all the fungible commodities while being fungible are not inexhaustable.

          • @Skyrmir
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            15 hours ago

            Lowering demand while increasing population means a lowering standard of living. That’s how wars start, and we end up with extremist idiots in charge. If you want lower demand, lower, or stop growing the population. And also realize that most attempts to lower population growth will be massively unpopular. But again, the alternative is war and extremism.

            • HubertManne
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              15 hours ago

              Well the problem there is the increasing population which should not be happening as long as we are using more than a years worth of planetary resources each year.

              • @Skyrmir
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                12 hours ago

                Agreed, but try telling people not to breed or worse do something to stop them. That’s going to end almost as badly as over breeding in the first place. The difference being it would happen right then, rather than some inevitable future date.

                • HubertManne
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                  12 hours ago

                  I don’t believe underbreeding will end very badly. It means we have to handle things differently and getting back to growth is not incredibly tough. When it comes down to it we need to lower the wealth gap which will largely take care of the rest.

        • @Shardikprime
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          116 hours ago

          What’s this, a voice with common sense I hear? Incredible. Upvoting before the mass downvotes arrive

          • @Skyrmir
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            115 hours ago

            People be down voting like I’m calling for rolling coal in their front yards.