http://socialwork.arts.unsw.edu.au/tsw/D100.RE.cant.save.25.7.o6.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY — CAN’T SAVE CONSUMER SOCIETY.

There is rapidly increasing understanding of the need to reduce use of fossil fuels. People are becoming more aware of the possibility that petroleum supply is close to peaking, and of the implications of the greenhouse problem for use of fossil fuels. However it would be difficult to find a more taken for granted, unquestioned assumption than that it will be possible to substitute renewable energy sources for fossil fuels, while consumer-capitalist society continues on its merry pursuit of limitless affluence and growth. I think there is a very strong case that this assumption is seriously mistaken.


The argument is detailed in my book Renewable Energy – Cannot Sustain Consumer Society, to be published by Springer early in 2007. The core themes will be summarised here.

The limits to renewable energy have been almost totally ignored. There has only been one book published on the topic, Hayden’s The Solar Fraud, 2004. No one wants to think about the question. Everyone is eager to assume that we can move from fossil fuels to renewables without any threat to ever-rising affluent living standards and limitless economic growth. Unfortunately the renewable energy experts are the last people to throw critical light on this question of possible limits. They always give the most optimistic pronouncements on their pet technologies, reinforcing the impression that they could solve all the problems, if only we would give them more research funding.

Energy is only one of the alarming global problems now threatening us. Chapter 10 of RE explains that consumer society is grossly unsustainable and unjust, and that we should be trying to reduce our rich world per capita resource consumption to perhaps 10% of present levels. The problems over-consumption is generating cannot be solved without vast and radical change from consumer-capitalist society. Our goal has to be transition to what I refer as "The Simpler Way."................

....................The answer?

In Chapter 10 of RE it is argued that there is no possibility of solving the many huge global problems confronting us unless the commitment to affluence and growth is abandoned. Consumer-capitalist society is grossly unsustainable and unjust. It involves rates of resource use and environmental impact that are far beyond sustainable levels, and could never be extended to all the world’s people. It is possible for the rich countries because they are taking most of the world’s resources, thereby condemning the Third World majority to far less than their fair share. This commitment to affluent "living standards" This inevitably creates problems of geopolitical conflict and war. In addition the obsession with growth and affluence is damaging the quality of life and social cohesion in even the richest societies.

Despite the fact that the present levels of production and consumption are unsustainable, the top priority is economic growth! This will multiply the magnitude of the problems many times in coming decades. It is no surprise that many now predict major global breakdowns.

The only way out of this absurd and alarming situation is some kind of Simpler Way, which Chapter 11 of RE outlines. This must involve non-affluent (but quite sufficient) material living standards, mostly small, highly self-sufficient local economies (and therefore the end of globalization), economic systems under social control and not driven by market forces or the profit motive (although there might be a place for markets and private firms), and highly cooperative and participatory systems. Obviously such radical system changes could not be made without profound change in values and world view, away from competitive, acquisitive individualism.

There are good reasons for thinking that we have neither the wit nor the will to face up to changes of this order, especially given that they are not on the agenda of official or public discussion. A major factor that has kept them off the agenda has been the strength of the assumption all wish to believe, that renewable energy sources can substitute for fossil fuels......................