“After Going Solar, I Felt the Bliss of Sudden Abundance”
I think the man needs a lesson in Jevon&#x27;s Paradox (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Jevons_paradox" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Jevons_paradox</a>)<p>Simply put, if an increase in efficiency, ecologically in this case, leads to an increase in consumption then the end result isn&#x27;t a decrease in energy usage but an increase. One of the reasons carbo-hydrogen consumption has barely fallen totally is because every time we make something more efficient we have the fantastic idea to use it for something other than substituting the old energy sources. Every solar panel put to use for something that isn&#x27;t turning an old power plant off is <i>slowing the energy transition</i>. The people on HN who rightfully  ask why our software is so slow despite our chips being so fast know Jevon&#x27;s paradox by heart.<p>It&#x27;s important to point out that this applies to the infrastructure needed for green energy itself, which is not green. Solar panels, batteries, concrete, steel, rare earths, the downside of that green energy the author blasts so abundantly through is some toxic mining pit in Africa.