LEDs not neccesarily eco-friendly
If, by “LED” one means “people.”
While the potential for cheaper energy could increase the quality of life for billions around the globe, it also could mean an increase in energy usage. Tsao says that since the 16th century, with each revolution in lighting technology humans have used more light, instead of using the same amount of light for cheaper.
“Over the past three centuries… the world has spent about 0.72 percent of the world’s per capita gross domestic product on artificial lighting,” said Tsao. “This is so for England in 1700, in the underdeveloped world not on the grid and in the developed world using the most advanced lighting technologies. There may be little reason to expect a different future response from our species.”
So let’s blame the LEDs for human nature and the law of supply and demand.
I believe this is a fine example of Jevons’ Paradox.
I wasn’t familiar with the paradox until now; thanks for pointing it out. But rather than being a paradox it seems a logical extension of supply and demand.
The trivial alternative to Jevon’s Paradox is to reverse technological progress right back to the Industrial Revolution,
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/diary/population-graph.jpg
It must be true – it’s a graph.
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/temperature/Carbon_Dioxide_400kyr_Rev.jpg
hence Luddite Enviro-whinerism. Only the Carbon Tax on Everything can save us! Burn suet candles, ride horses, die of an infected mosquito bite.