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
erig
e
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