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Jan Steinman's avatar

Good call on the Jevons Paradox!

One thing I didn't see mentioned is the concept of "emergy," or embedded energy, as thoroughly described by the late ecologist Howard Odum.

Odum shows that technology is simply a complexity, which itself is a form of embedded energy, and that it requires energy for its maintenance. And Joseph Tainter warns us that civilizations fail when they become more and more complex, until all their resources are tied up in maintaining that complexity, and there is none left over for the daily living of its citizens. Sound familiar? We're there!

So, the more technology we throw at a problem, the more energy the technology needs, both for its implementation, but also for its ongoing maintenance.

If "the problem" is one of declining energy, then using technology to "solve" the problem simply makes the problem worse!

In this degenerate case, we don't even get to the point where the Jevons Paradox rears its head. The technology never even has a chance to improve efficiency before it sucks the remaining energy out of the system!

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Erik Michaels's avatar

Here is an article you'll like which includes the link to the Maximum Power Principle (inspired by Howard) and also a link to Joseph Tainter's book, "The Collapse of Complex Societies":

https://problemspredicamentsandtechnology.blogspot.com/2023/12/do-you-see-technology-from-complete.html

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Jan Steinman's avatar

I see I'm preaching to the choir, here!

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