Grégoire Wallenborn, reducing energy demand and improving well-being

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Squaring the energy circle: reducing demand and improving well-being Presentation at the Post-Growth 2018 Conference, 19 September 2018, European Parliament, Brussels

GrĂŠgoire Wallenborn UniversitĂŠ Libre de Bruxelles


“If we don't do the impossible, we shall be faced with the unthinkable!” Murray Bookchin The Ecology of Freedom, 1982


There has never been an energy transition


Energy and GDP

Source: Jancovici


Internet traffic

Machines: 13 TW Geothermal flow: 40 TW* Biosphere production: 130 TW*

Air traffic *1TW = 1000 GW


The great accelaration: accumulation of stuf


CO2 Emissions Source : IPCC, WG III, 2014




Global Renewable Power Capacity

Load factors in Belgium Wind: 25-40% Solar PV: 10-15%


Renewable Energy in Total Final Energy Consumption


Absolute decoupling?


Energy efficiency? • Energy efficiency: presented as THE solution (with renewables) result activity output efficiency = = = = productivity means used× resource input • Efficiency as an end = productivity  rebound efects are systemic • When is energy is saved: where it will be used? • Rebounds: improving energy efficiency  increases the number of activities • Rebounds are accelerated when infrastructures and markets can redistribute quickly energy


Questioning energy demand • Acceleration of life rhythms (Rosa 2013) • Machines and appliances: save time? Multitasking!  energy efficiency translated into temporal efficiency: maximisation of the number of activities and of power • Social practices are in competition to find their slot


Society and energy • Two common points of view: – Societal evolution depends upon energy expense – Energy systems are socially constructed

• But: What is energy for? (Shove & Walker 2014) Energy sources

Electricity generation

Conversion devices Diesel engine

Oil

Petrol engine Aircraft engine Other engine Electric motor

10.7

Biomass

Oil burner Biomass burner

Gas 5.3

Gas burner Coal burner

Coal 11.0

Electricity

Nuclear Renewable

Heat

Electric heater Heat exchanger Cooler Light device Electronic

Passive systems

Final services

Car

Passenger transport

Truck Plane Ship Train

Freight transport

Driven system Furnace Steam system Hot water system

Steel Chemical Mineral Paper Food Aluminium

Structure

Sustenance

Other Hygiene

Heated/cooled space Thermal comfort Appliance Illuminated space

C o m m u n ic a t io n Illumination


Social practice theory

Material objects

Images Meaning

• Axiom: there are only practices  constituted of heterogeneous elements • Individuals are recruited by practices • Importance of social norms (comfort, hygiene, convenience,…)

Skills Procedures Shove et al. 2012

Cf. http://demand.ac.uk/


Behaviour oriented

Practice oriented

Why don’t people turn the heating/cooling down at night?

How do concepts of comfort come to be as they are?

Why don’t they install more efficient technologies?

How are systems of practice sustained?

Why don’t they install more insulation?

How might these be reconfigured?

Promote efficiency and ‘retain current standards’

Intervention in the reproduction of everyday practice (18-28 degrees C, rather than 22)

Investigation: questionnaire to individuals

Investigation: materialities, history,…

Scale of impact: inherently limited

Scale of impact: potentially massive

From Shove (2010)


Competition and cooperation • Mainstream “solutions”: based on market and technology (= competition) • Darwin, completed by Kropotkine: – When resources are abundant, individuals can compete without harm for the species (but not for the other individuals, and this is costly). – When resources are scarce, species cooperate

• Both competition and cooperation are part of living processes, but cooperation operate at a higher level (species > individuals)


Conclusion • Reducing energy demand: how should practices cooperate? • Insert practices within ecosystems  Activities should be adapted to available energy (and not the other way round)  Requires a whole new social organisation, based on cooperation  Determine collectively social and ecological activities



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