Land use is key to energy consumption – and emissions, too
February 4th, 2009 by Jim JustThis post by Glenn at The Oil Drum is priceless if for no other reason than this graph.
President Obama’s inauguration address contained this unfortunate phrase:
“We will not apologize for our way of life.”
Well, we sure as hell ought to. Americans should be deeply embarrassed and ashamed. Given climate change impacts, American energy profligacy is nothing short of a crime to humanity (and all other living creatures). We should not only apologize. We should take steps to change our profligate ways.
Any improvements in efficiency – in vehicle miles per gallon, in percentage of electricity from renewables, in greener building practices, etc. – can easily be swamped by the voracious energy inputs necessary to support a continuation of American land use patterns.
Similarly, any environmental gains – reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from switching to alternative energy sources, wildlife habitat protection, more sustainable agricultural and forest practices, could be swamped by new development based on existing patterns.
Glenn suggests a number of steps that could be taken to reduce and even reverse federal government subsidies and other inducements for our profligate use of land and energy.
Any sense of the right direction for policy is going to be swamped by the imperative to do something, anything and especially build roads to “stimulate the economy”, no matter that the stampede is heading us all straight for the cliff. That cooler and wiser heads may prevail is nothing more than a forlorn prayer.