Ecomodernism

The belief that “technology will save the world” is but partly true:

• If technology reduces the energy consumption (footprint) of a given good, the available financial resources of the consumer will be used elsewhere to “footprint”.  If prices of flights half due to new energy efficient planes, people will fly twice -(this is the Jevons’ paradox);

• If technology achieves ways to reduce / capture the CO2 levels in the atmosphere, this will be used as an argument to continue ejecting CO2 into the atmosphere a little bit longer and some more.

Technology will be able to deliver a substantial proportion of CO2 reduction but it will only have a lasting effect if this is accompanied by a strongly steered society and broad change in consumers habits.

An ecomodernism approach in rich countries needs to be combined with top-down enforced implementation of regulations to reduce consumption.

Ecomodernism should induce poor and developing countries maximizing consumption and footprinting.