In apopular video, Youtuber GCP Grey makes the claim thatautonomous vehicles(AVs) will solve traffic jams.
What is Jevons Paradox?
It essentially states that when the efficiency of resource consumption increases so does overall use of the resource.
Energy efficiency increases demand
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For example, as energy efficiency of refrigerators improves the cost of refrigeration decreases, therefore increasing the demand.
In the US, the amount of electricity used to refrigerate has increased as this energy efficiency has improved.
In other words, as the cost to use something decreases, it gets used more.
After all, would you travelin a carmore if you no longer had to actually drive the car?
We would all accept longer commutes.
AVssignificantly decrease the opportunity cost of travel and therefore lead to more travel.
Or how many more people would live that lifestyle.
And shippingthings becomes cheaper, leading to an increase in consumption.
This all leadsto more and more vehiclescramming onto our limited street space.
In GCP Greys video, he shows carstravelling all at the same rateof speedon a straight roadway.
But even AVs have to slow down for turns and stop to let peoplein and out.
How will New York Citylook when it becomes overtaken by autonomous vehicles?
But the downsides will be a tragedy of the commons.
Im not looking forwardto this revolutionarytechnology and I can only hope that we make our citiescar-freebefore then.
