[asa] Psychology, technology, & the sugar-substitute brouhaha

Does anyone remember the “law” (I think it has been a topic here before)
in which an increase in efficiency results in a corresponding increase
in human usage – thereby undoing the original gain?

The recent brouhaha over sugar-substitute failures with regard to
obesity illustrate a more general tendency or psychology that needs to
be taken into account in our relationship to environment and technology.
(I know -- the experiment was casting doubts on the biochemical
effectiveness of sugar-substitutes, not the psychology of it -- but I
maintain that people have also substituted commercial promises for
self-discipline, and are coming up on the short--fat?-- end of the bargain.)

I think this is also the case with humanity’s attitude and relationship
to the earth. E.g. any “gains” we make on lessening our carbon footprint
will probably be more than offset by consequent living standard
expansions we set up against those very gains. --And also by exportation
of the western living standard to wider populations. Our leaders are not
calling us to sacrifice; and technology, (courtesy of corporate
marketing culture), certainly will not make any such call. Seems like
Christians and/or other religious organizations need to be stepping up
to the plate on this. Maybe science can try to ignore the wayward spirit
of its own offspring: technology, and call for sacrifice, but when
scientists have made such calls, it has been largely ineffectual to the
lay public, has it not?

And if we did begin to sacrifice (use less) as I think we should, how do
we deal with the economic repercussions? Our “slow down” button in our
economy is linked to unemployment, recession, yada, yada –exactly what
our elected and soon-to-be elected officials are promising to help us
avoid via B.A.U.

Thoughts?

--Merv

"I think the surest sign that there is intelligent life out there in the
universe is that none of it has tried to contact us." --Calvin (Calvin
and Hobbes/Bill Watterson)

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Received on Mon Feb 11 19:45:10 2008