Last week I had an interesting conversation with a college student about renewable energy. She likened our energy choices to purchases we make while waiting in the check-out line at a supermarket. It’s an awkward connection given that an impulse buy is not something you need; but those strategically located products that entice people to purchase stuff they don’t need got me thinking. Our energy choices need to be fast, cheap and convenient to really take hold in our society.
Energy efficiency, the so called lowest hanging fruit on the tree of sustainable energy, should speak directly to our American consumer culture. It’s fast, cheap and easy but we are far too busy to make a conscious effort toward sustainable energy choices. People aren’t picking this low hanging fruit because energy efficiency actually requires some effort from the end user. It’s not that impulse buy at check out, rather energy efficiency is on the bottom shelf in the back of the store waiting for you to ask the clerk where it is and how, exactly, do you install it?
Efficiency is not sexy, it’s not centralized and it’s not new. Is it any wonder why people aren’t buying? Neighborhood groups and city wide climate initiatives have promoted energy efficiency with the Low Carbon Diet program and support groups try to make it a community challenge but time, the elusive commodity that we never have enough of, prevents full participation and buy-in.
Green collar jobs slated to make America more energy efficient have led to boutique start-ups companies who will come into your home, perform tests and assess what fixes you’ll need to make your home leak less energy often at a low cost.
It’s encouraging to see the market rise to catch this low hanging fruit but creating that impulse demand for our fickle consumers is a challenge yet to be reckoned with.
Lisa Goddard
