Oksana Mont - Will technology save us

WILL TECHNOLOGY SAVE US AND IF NOT WHAT ELSE

CAN WE DO?

Oksana MontProf. in sustainable

consumption and productionIIIEE at Lund University

Why technology is not sufficient?

• Factor level improvements– Production & product improvement

• Outsourcing production => increasing impacts embedded in imported products

• Improved per unit efficiency overcompensated by increasing consumption– CO2 emissions from consumption of imported products is ↑– CO2 emissions from transport ↑– Amount of chemicals ↑, especially through imported goods– Amount of waste is ↑ Sv

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Källa: Eurostat (internetkod: tsdpc310, lfst_hhnhtych)

Electricity use in household in Europe Kilogram oil equivalent per household

The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics, Lund University,

Oksana Mont3

Housing – energy use

Fuel efficiency of an average car alongside trends in private car ownership and GHG emissions

Source: Eurostat (internetkod: tsdtr450)

Average CO2 emissions from personal cars Gram CO2 per kilometre

CO2/km from new cars have been reducing mostly due to shifting from gasoline to diesel and more fuel efficient technology

Source: EEA, 2012

Private car use in Sweden

Holmberg et al 2012

Supersize Everything!

7-Eleven soda• 1980: 32 ounces• 2000: 64 ounces

McDonald’s French fries• 1980: 4 ounces• 2000: 7 ounces

Supermarkets• 1972: 24,038 square feet• 2000: 44,072 square feet

Wired, December 2002, 656

Cruise lines• 1985: 46,052 tons• 2002: 88,500 tons

Refrigerators• 1980: 19.6 inches• 2002: 28.6 inches

NFL players: average weight

• 1974: 255 pounds• 2000: 322 pounds

Pricing vs amount

32 ounces 44 ounces 64 ounces388 calories 533 calories 776 calories$0.99 $1.09 $1.19

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Efficiency is improving, but utility for consumers?

Exhaust 35%Exhaust 35%

Rolling resistance 4.2%Air resistance 10.5%Accelerate and climb 4.3%

Rolling resistance 4.2%Air resistance 10.5%Accelerate and climb 4.3%

Fussler (1996)

Fuel energy 100%Fuel energy 100%

Radiation 20%Radiation 20%

Cooling water 20%Cooling water 20%Movement 19%Movement 19%

Deadweight 17%Deadweight 17%

Personal mobility - 2%Personal mobility - 2%

Bearings 6%

Is that what I pay my money for???

• Average European car is used for 29 min a day

• In 12 years of car life it is used in total for 3 month, after which it is discarded

• Average speed of cars in centers of European cities is 17 km/hour => it is faster to take a bike

... and use efficiency?

“Technological advancement will not be enough

to achieve sustainable development,

changes will also be required to people’s lifestyles”

Source: WBCSD 2008

Challenging traditional business models

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Demand side managementLeast-Cost PlanningChemical Management ServicesIntegrated pest managementCarpet leasing programmesDocument companiesFurniture servicesProfessional washing servicesServices of electronic goods

Car sharing schemes

DIY tools sharing systems

Community-based washing centres

Leasing and renting services

Sporting goods

IT solutions: application service providers

Communication services

Enabling social innovation

• Collaborative consumption– Utilising the idling capacity of stuff– Second-hand = vintage – reframe => normalise

• Consumers as co-producers– Resilient communities– Tacking charge of our lives

• Urban mining– Utilising wealth of societies

Rachel Botsman: The case for collaborative consumption

15Rachel Botsman: The case for collaborative consumption

Bernd, Germany55,1t

Kirsti, Finland38,7t

Iria, Spain24,8t

Understanding lifestyles

Material Footprint 2011

Péter, Hungary8,8t

16http://www.sustainable-lifestyles.eu/

Envisioning Sustainable Living 2050

Envisioning Sustainable Living 2050

Food: 500 kg/a mostly vegetarianHousing: 20 m2/person zero net energyEnergy: 1000 kWh via wind and solar Household goods: efficient, different and sufficientMobility & Tourism: 10 000 km/a no carHealth & well-being: improved health, well-being, happiness

8-10 ton lifestyle (total resource use)

http://www.sustainable-lifestyles.eu/

Sustainable lifestyles should be happy!

Source: (Jackson and Marks 1999b) and (Jackson and Stymne 1996)

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Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare (ISEW)

and GDP in Sweden during 1950–1996.

Life satisfaction in Sweden 1999-2009

Holmberg et al 2012

Fairly satisfied decreased, Very satisfied increased by 7%, while GDP increased By 24% from 1999 to 2009

Very low (zero)

Commuting: high

Use of appliances: medium high

Activity HappinessSex 4,7Socialising 4,0Relaxing 3,9Praying/meditating 3,8Eating 3,8Exercising 3,8Watching TV 3,6Shopping 3,2Preparing food 3,2Talking on phone 3,1Taking care of children 3,0Computer/internet 3,0Housework 3,0Working 2,7Commuting 2,6

Energy intensity (J/h)

Holmberg et al 2012

Practices, happiness and energy intensity

Principles for living sustainablySustainable lifestyle

Cooperating vs. CompetingSharing vs. HoardingUsing and Saving vs. ConsumingMoving vs. sedentary but travel-basedReflective vs. chased stressed lives

ContextFrom expectation society to the “power of now” Happiness is in relating, not accumulating“Live simply that others may simply live”

GoalNow high-consumption competitive livingNeed high-satisfaction cooperative living

developed from Pat Murphy

“To be nobody but yourself in a world doing its best to make you everybody else means to fight the

hardest battle any human can ever fight and never stop fighting”. E.E. Cummings

Living one’s passion is the ultimate experience of feeling alive and connected to the universe – when

did you feel alive last time?

From mindless consumption to mindfulness