This first article was talking about how Jevon’s law. Jevons thought that our economy would become unstable because of how dependent we are on fossil fuels. Jevons said that if we used our resources more efficiently we could make more money off of it, which would cycle back into the economy. If we put more work in trying to obtain fossil fuels it will cost more money and affect the economy negatively. The demand of that resource will be so outrageous that people will no longer be able to use it in their daily life. America has such a big population. If we keep growing in size it will take a toll on the economy. For example, we have a huge population that is dependent on oil. When the oil runs out what is going to happen to our society and how we continue on.
The second article talks about how we need to fix our economy. We have become to advance to quickly. We need to slow down and take a step back from technology. If we do not then our economy is going to fail. We can hardly handle our economy now how could we possible support the demands of an even bigger one. The author stated that we need a new kind of economy. We need a “steady-state” economy that would maintain the economy we have now and not grow it. This would slow the economic fail of our current economy and could even turn our economy around.
1) Jevons main concern was that consumers were becoming to dependent on fossil fuels. He knew that the consumers were not aware that these fossil fuels would eventually run out and our society would not be able to handle that change.
2) The airplane to helicopter comparison was about two different economies. The helicopter symbolized about the type of economy we should have. We should have a steady and hovering economy and not try to grow and go forward as fast as we can. The airplane symbolized how our economy is now. Always moving forward at a fast pace. We never want to stop and don’t think of the consequences of out actions.
1) Why does Jovens not really talk about alternative uses to fossil fuels? It seems like he thinks our economy is going to fail no matter what.
2) The “steady-state” economy seems like a good idea but is it possible for our society to slow down after years of a face-paced economy?
3) Why is our society so dependent on technology?
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There are alternatives to fossil fuels but they tend not to be as powerful as what they're meant to replace, so they don't solve the problem Jevons raises.
ReplyDeleteWhether our economy can slow down is an open question. Certainly as constituted, it can't--that's the point of the helicopter-vs.-airplane discussion. The functioning of our money system requires expansion, so if we are to have a steady-state economy in which people can lead decent lives, we'll need a different kind of money system.
We're dependent on technology (and on the energy that allows us to build and operate that technology) because we like the myriad things the technology allows us to do. Nobody is forcing us to have cars, cell phones, iPods, air travel, etc., but the vast majority of the people who have a choice opt to have them rather than not have them. If we want to be less dependent on technology, we need to become less desirous of the things that technology allows us to have.