Efficiency

The word "efficiency" makes a lot of people upset, because the word has sometimes been used to promote some bad ideas. So let's separate the kinds of efficiency we actually want vs the kinds we really don't:

Examples of good efficiency:

• Energy efficiency (as long as it actually reduces total consumption (i.e. avoids a Jevons' Paradox)).
• Food efficiency (to fight global hunger and deforestation).
  • Reducing food waste, make food more plant-based, and in some cases improving crop yields.
• Frugalism, right to repair, and fighting against planned obsolescence.
• Efficient use of buildings for housing (as long as we don't sacrifice common space) - so we can end the housing shortage without taking a lot of resources.
• Designing neighborhoods to be walkable.

Examples of bad efficiency:

• Making people live in pods and eat bugs.
• Designs that promote a "go to work, consume, come home" lifestyle.
  • Instead, we need public places where people can hang out without having to spend money. [See related podcast]
• Underpaying workers, or disregarding health & safety for the sake of productivity.
  • Instead, we should make labor more enjoyable even when that makes it somewhat less efficient. After all, people spend a lot of their lives working - we can stand to sacrifice some economic output for the sake of human wellbeing.