The Problem:
Overconsumption of products and resources.
The Social Invention:
Just because a consumer has the money for an item, it shouldn't automatically mean they are entitled to it. There is an environmental cost associated with everything and waste should be discouraged.
If somebody has something that works perfectly well and they want to replace it because they are tired of looking at it, there should be some other cost that is harder to afford. A consumer purchasing an item would see a price tag that contained two costs. Eg. Kettle $49.95 + 5 Ep's. If spending these Ep's on the kettle meant that they had reduced points for car usage, they would be deterred. The Ep's would also be effective in deciding on which kettle to purchase as the Ep's on steel kettle could be different to the Ep's on a plastic kettle. In this example the Ep's would be based on materials used, their impact on the environment and the long vs. short life of the two items.
Concious savings on Ep's could be made in the example of driving a car to work and using the Ep's for petrol vs. catching public transport that contains a much lower Ep cost.
Businesses would have to take more responsibility for the waste they produce. A business' Ep expenditure would help determine the Ep amount on the good paid by the consumer, therefore it is in the economic interests of these businesses to minimize their Ep expenditure. This would allow 'market forces' to encourage a manfacturer to implement more eco friendly ways of producing their goods and encourage lastability. This would also create a recognition of 'embodied energy' in consumer goods and conceivably educate consumers about the impact their purchases have on the environment.
A governing body could issue and administer the 'currency' to consumers and businesses. The currency could be used electronically. At the point of sale, the merchant's processing of the transaction could deduct the Eps from the purchasers account giving the governing body details of the supplier and returning the Eps. This way data can be collected of the nature of Ep expenditure.
The Author
- Bradley Hall (bradleykhall)
Bradley is a creative generalist, he spends a lot of time with his head in the clouds dreaming of a more equitable world.
