How many SPSes for $87 billion ?

> 2. Economically speaking, energy efficiency is a much better economic
> investment than energy production. This site has lots on this topic:
> http://www.rmi.org
> http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid17.php
>

Economically speaking it is ALWAYS better to produce more than to
conserve. In a ecnomonically rational choice, if the costs are
identical producing more will make everyone better off. In fact it can
be shown that even if the cost of production is greater than
conservation, by the macro multiplier effect it is still economically
better to produce more.

BTW the above quoted statement shows the illogical arguments of many
environmentalists. It shows the following fallacies:

Ad Verecundiam (Appeal to Authority) - listing web sites like the
information on them are relevent and factual.

Ad Ignorantium (Appeal to Ignorance) but stating 'economically
speaking' an economic model is implied without mentioning which model
is implied, or how that model relates to this discussion.

Hasty Generalization - forming a general rule by examining specific
cases. The web sites only site the successes of conservation. Knowing
that approximately 90% of all endeavours fail, the lack of failed
cases and post mortuem results only tells me that the sites are biased
towards one conclusion.

Ad Crumena - a belief that money is a criteria. The "economically
speaking" sentence implies that money is a criteria to this debate.
There is no reason to believe that something uneconmical can't be
done. The Hoover Dam is still being paid for. It was not economically
sound when it was built, and barely economic to run now. It was built
by the government of the US as a make work project to employ people
during the depression. It is run now because the spin off agricultural
industry is profitable. Many long term (>1y) payback are considered
uneconmic by todays short sighted corporations.

and finally:
Bifurcation - presenting a situation as having only two alternatives,
when in fact other alternatives exist. In this case, no proof has been
given to show either conservation of production are economic. Perhaps
the best course of action is do both. Or do nothing. Perhaps the best
course of action is to do something else altogether.