Changing Trends: A Brief History of the US Household Consumption of Energy, Water, Food, Beverages and Tobacco

Rick Diamond and Mithra Moezzi, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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Abstract

Can an historic analysis of consumption patterns of different commodities in the U.S. shed light on the consumption of energy used in homes and passenger cars? Can a review of past policies to reduce or change consumption patterns provide insight or guidance in developing new policies for reducing energy use? In order to better understand energy conservation policies, we take a brief look at the history in the US of consumption of different commodities, including residential energy, passenger car, household water, food, beverages and tobacco. While current policy makers appear reluctant to pursue strategies to reduce absolute energy consumption, there is a long history of government efforts to influence consumption of other commodities, through a variety of means, e.g., prohibition, exhortation, subsidy, regulation, and taxation. By reviewing the trends in historic consumption we see examples of where policy has led to increases and decreases in consumption, suggesting parallel strategies for promoting the long-term conservation of energy.