In my talks to groups, I suggest that the heat trapping gas emissions problem we are facing is like the unpaid balance on a credit card that drives the debt no matter what we do to stop spending, the interest drives up the costs. While not accurate precisely, this does get people to realize the sooner we begin implementing policies represented by the wedges the better. So material such as you posting can assist us in the necessary conversation concerning what works and who benefits from the policy suggested by each wedge.

As these solutions reduce the rate of emissions and not the underlying cause I would be interested in more effective ways to examine and describe the energy choices people are making and the consequences such thinking has on the behavior of consumer’s.

For example, in speaking with people in Israel, where the heating of water by solar (thermal) collectors is “second nature” because it is everywhere apparent on roof-tops, there is little use of photo-electrical (voltaic) collectors and facilities. The deserts in that region are enormous and this time of year are cloud free, but unlike Germany that is underwriting solar electrical proliferation Israel is a fossil fuel nightmare (so to speak). As I see it these are two of the wedges as is more efficient lighting and building design (even awnings would be a start over southerly exposed windows), but I see barriers to linking one wedged group of so alleged solutions to another set.

Have you run across any commentary on the cognitive barriers to implementing these behavioral changes that your good discussion reveals?