MAKING TROUBLE

BY SAUL GRIFFITH

The Year of Peak Waste

Yes, we are all depressed. It appears to me that everyone I know is working harder than ever before, scrambling in this strange new world that was thrust upon us while the Global Economic Crisis took hold of our little monkey brains and made our primate instincts do the worst: panic.

But maybe, just maybe, it’s the best news ever. Perhaps it’s actually fantastic. Let’s look at some data: in terms of energy use and, consequently, carbon output, the only proven technology humanity has for reducing CO output at the global scale is

2 economic crisis (see graph). The data is not yet in for 2008, though given that OPEC slashed production multiple times in the latter half of 2008, it looks as if, once again, recession has provably reduced our “reliance” on carbon-based fuels. So while you sit there contemplating employment uncertainty, take solace in the fact that the dolphins are probably doing backflips of joy, and polar bears are likely hibernating in a slightly more secure Arctic, dreaming of a few extra years of viable ecosystem ahead. The reality is that all of our economic activity, whether it be buying gas to fill our cars, or buying stuff to fill our houses, or even food to feed our stomachs, uses energy from one source or another. This is why, knowing how much money you spend, you can estimate with reasonable accuracy how much energy you use, and how much CO you 2 are responsible for putting into the atmosphere.

This equation is why there is a conversation in the circles of people who think about climate change and energy about “decoupling” the economy from CO . Simplistically, there are two ways this decou-

2 pling can be achieved. The first is by swapping clean energy sources for dirty ones. Electric cars run on solar-power electrons instead of oil. Wind power instead of coal. Geothermal instead of natural gas. The second decoupling happens when we achieve the same quality of life and service, at much lower energy or carbon output. How can this be realized?

In the last decade or so, efficiency gains in the steel industry mean that we can now produce steel with 10%–20% less energy than previously required. Better refrigerators use less energy per unit of food kept cool and fresh. This side of the energy

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equation is often called efficiency. Efficiency can get us a long way, but for many things that we do, or find “necessary” in modern society, we already do them surprisingly efficiently.

Globally, the best models suggest we need to reduce the amount of carbon going into the atmosphere by 80%–90% by 2050. That’s a lot. It looks incredibly unlikely that we’ll figure out how to make steel with 80%–90% less energy or CO produced. That’s also

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true for aluminum, plastics, paper, and most modern materials. What does this mean? It means we need to use less of all of those materials, which means making products that last longer. It means repairing those products. It means maintenance.

By being more careful and thoughtful about what we waste, we could have quality consumption.

Let’s try and imagine the beautiful version. Children will play with beautifully engineered wooden toys without toxic additives in small plastic parts. The wooden toys will be repaired as necessary between generations. You will have handsome shoes, repaired by a cobbler. Instead of dealing with a website or superstore, you’ll interact with someone who is interested in the weather that you share, how your shoes are performing, and whether you are using beeswax treatment often enough to keep the shoes soft and waterproof. Rather than unflattering Ikea generics, you’ll own beautiful furniture, handmade and well oiled and polished.

Why would I bring this up now? Isn’t this the steampunk issue? Let me give you a glimpse into my thoughts right now. I’m writing in December of 2008. We are in the midst of the economic stupidity. Twice this week there were blackouts on my street. They hit me with an overbearing relevance: I was reduced to candles, there was no wireless internet, and my house was quiet. Peaceful, actually. I made soup on my gas stove and used two tea candles