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Strategy 6: Increasing Energy Efficiency

Energy consumption doubled between 1950 and 1964. It doubled again between 1964 and 1980.[87] Over the past decade, energy consumption, particularly in China and other rapidly growing areas, has continued to rise, depleting fossil fuel supplies while contributing to local and national pollution and global warming.

Currently, inefficient uses of energy waste as much of our depletable energy sources as provide useful work. In other words, current energy-use efficiency could be doubled -- without a loss in productivity or standard of living. New energy-use technologies have proven to be much more efficient than traditional ones in reducing energy requirements to perform common tasks. In Japan, where near-total dependence on foreign oil prompted significant efficiency improvements, oil consumption decreased since the last oil shocks, even though Japan's economy has since doubled in size.[88]

Local energy-efficiency programs have reduced energy costs by about twice the amount invested in energy efficiency, indicating a sizable savings for energy users.[89] The production and installation of energy-saving devices on a global scale will also provide employment and valuable skills for large numbers of people.

Investing an average of $33 billion per year for ten years in improving energy efficiency,[90] -- through such programs as weatherization for buildings, heavier use of insulation and other residential and commercial energy saving devices, state of the art energy efficient appliances and lighting, as well as energy efficient industrial processes, and increased automobile fleet mileage to 50 miles per gallon -- would cut in half the total energy needs of the world while not decreasing the performance or benefits technology has brought.

Costs/Benefits

By increasing the energy efficiency of the world's buildings, transportation systems, motors and other uses of energy, society can reduce its dependence upon fossil fuels, along with their contribution of global warming gases and their unstable prices, and nuclear energy, with its radioactive waste, soaring costs, and security, environmental and social risks. Other benefits include a cleaner environment, more available energy supplies for the future, more stable energy prices and more energy at affordable prices for developing regions of the world.

The $33 billion per year for ten years needed to increase the efficiency of the world's energy system by almost 100% is about 3.8% of what the US spends on energy each year, or 4.2% of the world's total annual military expenditures, or 3.3% of the world's illegal drug trade, or less than 15% of the subsidies received by US corporations each year from the government.[91]

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