Less Waste, More Productivity: An Economist’s Take on Our Energy Dilemma

In this episode of Energy Changemakers, host Elisa Wood sits down with renowned energy economist Skip Laitner to explore the surprising ways our “stuff” — from food waste to excess parking lots — is shaping our energy use, economy, and environment. Drawing from his decades of work at the EPA, ACEEE, and beyond, Skip reframes the energy conversation from simply producing more to using resources more productively.

Using vivid, household-level examples, Skip reveals how the sheer mass of human-made materials now likely outweighs all living biomass on Earth — and why that matters for energy demand. He discusses:

• How household habits, from car ownership to shoe purchases, add hidden costs to our energy system

• The difference between energy efficiency and energy productivity — and why the latter could cut total energy use in half

• The role of distributed energy systems in making people more aware of their consumption and waste

• How smarter policies and greater investment could boost economic resilience while reducing environmental pressures

• Why repurposing and reuse — not “degrowth” — are key to a healthier economy and planet

From the economics of waste to the scaling lessons we can learn from biology, Skip offers a big-picture view that connects our personal consumption patterns to global policy choices. If you care about making the grid cleaner, more local, and more equitable, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about where real change begins.

🔗 Download Skip’s paper Living More by Waste Than Ingenuity https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330383360_Let's_Talk_Trash_Do_We_Live_More_by_Waste_than_Ingenuity

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