Power Economics

Chapter 12Educate and Communicate

I believe wholeheartedly that using energy more carefully and more efficiently can put money in your pocket, make you a happier person, and create a cascade of benefits for the world we inhabit together. If you've read this far, you probably hold similar beliefs.

But what good are our beliefs unless we act on them? What's the point of acquiring knowledge if we don't share it? How can we make genuine progress if we only talk with people who already agree with us?

In this chapter, we'll take a look at techniques and advice for sharing the message, raising awareness, and dealing with naysayers. Some effort will be required, which is natural. Our culture has enjoyed nearly unlimited access to energy resources, and over time we have developed many wasteful habits. As previously mentioned, nearly 68 percent of the total energy consumed in the United States is wasted, according to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.¹

Changing the long-standing habits of a culture won't be easy, but I'm confident we can shift the attitudes of enough people to make a lasting difference in how we generate power and consume energy. Fortunately, the tide of opinion is turning. Americans increasingly understand the connection between climate change and health issues.² A recent survey by the Pew Research Center shows that two-thirds of Americans see the negative impact of climate change on their communities and want the government to do more, “including large-scale ...