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fulfilled, higher needs are increasingly met. While this variant of how additionally
available household resources are used is the least well defined one, we argue it to
be the most plausible one, if looking at the individual consumer.
2.3.5 General Increase of Average Consumption
Finally, as a default option on the other end of the range, the consumer may just
increase its average consumption. While this logic may be less accurate for the individual, particularly if the individual is barely able to meet his or her most basic
needs, it may be a robust and quite accurate approach when looking at the average
consumer in society.
2.4 Cross Category Effects
Cross category effects (Hofstetter et al. 2006), also termed technology rebounds by
Weidema (2008)), relate to technology changes that affect the availability of other
technologies or alter their effect on the available household resources. An example
is the parallel use of a product A, enabled by a new product B, while not relevantly
impacting on each other’s functions. An example is the use of a laptop during a train
travel (enabled by the portability of the computer and by the trains power outlet and
Wi-Fi access). This situation can be argued to free time, as the work on the laptop is
working time, if assuming that total working time is not increased.
Other effects are more indirect and can interact with other mechanisms on society level, affecting e.g. infrastructure availability.
2.5 Mental Secondary Consequences
The knowledge (or sometimes only belief) that a product X is more environmentally
friendly may lead to an additional consumption “because the product X has less
impacts”, as Girod et al. (2010) argue. Examples are the more fuel-efficient car or
more energy-efficient lighting that lead to driving further or having more lamps,
respectively.
Similar to the use of freed household resources, also the mental consequences
can lead to more use of the same product, as in the above examples, of products that
fulfil the same function or meet the same need, or of other products or activities (e.g.
“because I separate my waste, it is ok that I …”). These mental consequences can
also be interpreted as having a mental budget for environmental impacts, as Girod
et al. (2010) suggest. However, this mental budget is less accurate than the income
or time budget and we can easily be misled as to the actual environmental benefit of
a product.
13 From Sustainable Production to Sustainable Consumption
fulfilled, higher needs are increasingly met. While this variant of how additionally
available household resources are used is the least well defined one, we argue it to
be the most plausible one, if looking at the individual consumer.
2.3.5 General Increase of Average Consumption
Finally, as a default option on the other end of the range, the consumer may just
increase its average consumption. While this logic may be less accurate for the individual, particularly if the individual is barely able to meet his or her most basic
needs, it may be a robust and quite accurate approach when looking at the average
consumer in society.
2.4 Cross Category Effects
Cross category effects (Hofstetter et al. 2006), also termed technology rebounds by
Weidema (2008)), relate to technology changes that affect the availability of other
technologies or alter their effect on the available household resources. An example
is the parallel use of a product A, enabled by a new product B, while not relevantly
impacting on each other’s functions. An example is the use of a laptop during a train
travel (enabled by the portability of the computer and by the trains power outlet and
Wi-Fi access). This situation can be argued to free time, as the work on the laptop is
working time, if assuming that total working time is not increased.
Other effects are more indirect and can interact with other mechanisms on society level, affecting e.g. infrastructure availability.
2.5 Mental Secondary Consequences
The knowledge (or sometimes only belief) that a product X is more environmentally
friendly may lead to an additional consumption “because the product X has less
impacts”, as Girod et al. (2010) argue. Examples are the more fuel-efficient car or
more energy-efficient lighting that lead to driving further or having more lamps,
respectively.
Similar to the use of freed household resources, also the mental consequences
can lead to more use of the same product, as in the above examples, of products that
fulfil the same function or meet the same need, or of other products or activities (e.g.
“because I separate my waste, it is ok that I …”). These mental consequences can
also be interpreted as having a mental budget for environmental impacts, as Girod
et al. (2010) suggest. However, this mental budget is less accurate than the income
or time budget and we can easily be misled as to the actual environmental benefit of
a product.
13 From Sustainable Production to Sustainable Consumption