Introducing 'the indulgent allayment effect', relative to the long-standing Jevons paradox, in the natural history of the human species
INTRODUCTION
A basic aspect of the natural history of the human species (Homo sapiens, https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/43584-Homo-sapiens) is that, in order to think clearly about something, we need a name for it.
Where a name is lacking for something important, it behooves us to invent an apt new term as soon as possible.
With this term in place, a conceptual search-image can arise, and there can be an appropriate boost in consciousness.
THE PROBLEM IN QUESTION
The human species uses resources on such a large scale that economies of resource-use are crucial for an understanding of the niche of our species.
However, humans differ from other animals in that our adaptations involve upgrades of software (i.e. psychological programming), rather than hardware (i.e. the genetic code).
Therefore, social psychology is a crucial factor in human ecology.
An important concern today is sustainable utilisation of energy and materials. This requires increases in both efficiency and recycling.
What has emerged in the last century is that attempts to conserve and manage resources tend to be frustrated by counterintuitive and perverse phenomena of human psychology. These phenomena operate at a subconscious level.
In the realm of efficiency, the term 'Jevons paradox' was introduced in 1865 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox and https://www.perplexity.ai/search/when-was-the-term-jevon-s-para-AQxNF0I4RL60RobmgM2r5g). It is paradoxical that, the more efficient we become in industrial processes, the more we boost the rate of these processes, frustrating any aspirations to reduce the effects of industry on the environment.
However, until now there has been no term for a related effect, which has proved to be important in recycling (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling).
The effect in question is that, the more that we think that a given resource is being recycled, the more we boost the use of the resource, so that there is no overall reduction in the rate of consumption.
I have noticed this effect particularly in municipal recycling schemes for paper, plastic, and glass, in which a special rubbish-bin, with a lid of distinctive colour, is collected for disposal on a weekly/biweekly basis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling_in_Australia).
The contents of such bins, carefully sorted from other categories of garbage by householders, ostensibly go to recycling facilities, instead of landfill (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landfill). The goal is to save resources and to reduce wastage.
What actually happens, in contrast to expectations, is what I have dubbed THE INDULGENT ALLAYMENT EFFECT.
A NEW TERM FOR THE LEXICON OF ENVIRONMENTALISM
In 'the indulgent allayment effect', consumers take psychological comfort from the instantiation of ostensibly economical practices, thus subconsciously relaxing their thriftiness. They purchase and discard the material in question more liberally/carelessly.
In the case of householders:
The result is that any savings achieved by recycling tend to be balanced by a correspondingly more wasteful practice. The latter tends to cancel out the former.
I suggest that, with the indulgent allayment effect in mind, we will spot this phenomenon of compensation - in conjunction with the related Jevons paradox - in various realms of modern living.
Comentarios
The powers that be have certainly mented the population with their nonsensical environmental policies.
Banning plastic shopping bags at the counter (even though one can purchase a more sturdier plastic replacement), somehow makes us forget about the totality of plastic found in every single aisle without exception.. and often this plastic is wrapped in more plastic before the alleged and often labelled "plastic food" can be consumed, or before the plastic item contained within can be used.
Plastic policies for Plastic minds
the Inn Dull Gent, All A Ment, He Fecked
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