it's more complicated than that because of the scale of human society. example: mandatory LED light bulbs.
any individual person considering only themselves, would be correct to choose filament over LED because of cost and very little electricity savings. However, every light socket in the country switching to LED in aggregate represents a significant amount of energy savings for power plants and therefore less carbon output. this is a basic complication.
going one level deeper, there is the supply chain of LEDs vs filament bulbs and the relative impact of their carbon footprints and mining of rare earth minerals. This is where it starts getting difficult to parse which is a net gain for the planet.
another level below that is what you cite, the costs associated with the transition itself. A lot of energy (both electrical and human) is wasted by both supporters and detractors arguing in the public sphere, spending entire global broadcasts on the subject, flying around in private jets, etc. How much of this is necessary depends on the net savings from the first two levels, which is pretty hard to calculate accurately.
So you do you, but personally I try not to commit to blanket statements that erase all nuance and subtlety - generally that leads to missing important context.
LED bulbs are naturally way better. People install them in their house because they last longer and a simple calculation tells you that they are a better value. Also they are safer because of reduced operating heat.
The government doesn’t need to force people to use green technologies, they are usually better.
Lawn care products are a good example as well. Gas powered mowers, edgers, blowers etc are being phased out because their electric counterparts are simpler, quieter, and cheaper. Not because the government forces people to use them.
A first principles understanding would suggest that more efficient technologies will win in the market usually because of reduced cost.
The same is happening with cars as more companies invest and scale up their technology. Government incentives are accelerating this of course, which is good.
> LED bulbs are naturally way better. People install them in their house because they last longer and a simple calculation tells you that they are a better value
In theory, yes. In practice, they just seem to be more expensive.
It is amazing how the luminous intensity of an LED bulb can decrease over time.
any individual person considering only themselves, would be correct to choose filament over LED because of cost and very little electricity savings. However, every light socket in the country switching to LED in aggregate represents a significant amount of energy savings for power plants and therefore less carbon output. this is a basic complication.
going one level deeper, there is the supply chain of LEDs vs filament bulbs and the relative impact of their carbon footprints and mining of rare earth minerals. This is where it starts getting difficult to parse which is a net gain for the planet.
another level below that is what you cite, the costs associated with the transition itself. A lot of energy (both electrical and human) is wasted by both supporters and detractors arguing in the public sphere, spending entire global broadcasts on the subject, flying around in private jets, etc. How much of this is necessary depends on the net savings from the first two levels, which is pretty hard to calculate accurately.
So you do you, but personally I try not to commit to blanket statements that erase all nuance and subtlety - generally that leads to missing important context.