Re: @LucreLout - "either we do not beleive you or because we do not care"
It is not simply a case of "getting more done with the same input", but also "getting the same done with less input". It's not either/ or, it can be both.
No, for as long as we're using progressively more energy, and we are, then efficiency is only about getting more done for the same input. We'll never use less.
How much less fuel would the USA be using if their politicians hadn't caved to the automobile industry lobbying to define SUVs as light trucks, thus exempting them from fuel economy regulations?
With the advent of shale / fracking, I'm not sure it matters anymore. Peak oil is quite possibly something our great grandchildren will need to conquer, but only if they don't continue our work to increase efficiency, find more oil, or develop better extraction techniques. For anyone alive today, there is no peak oil.
How much less power would people be using if, instead of using AirCon or central heating, houses were better insulated which keeps temperatures more stable?
Given the utterly inexpensive price of loft insulation and energy efficient LED bulbs, it does make me wonder why the green lobby waste so much time and money trying to force the rest of us to believe their fallacy, when if they believed it themselves, they could have spent their time and money insulating their homes, those of their neighbours, and pretty well their whole street by now. Instead, they've achieved, well, nothing since about the late 80's.
I'd quite like to insulate my own house further, but as it's single skinned, I'd have to have the outside rendered, which would cost about £10k. In economic terms, that will simply never pay for itself, at least not within any time I'll own the house. Amazingly, none of the environmental lobby groups seem interested in contributing to the cost, which would permenantly lower that houses energy use..... which pretty much tells you all you really need to know about them and how much the believe their hype.