Thomas Dietz, a professor at Michigan State University, says that household energy consumption is responsible for up to 38% of United States carbon emissions (that counts up to 8% of worldly emissions). He insists that home weatherization, regular vehicle maintenance and choosing the clothesline over the dryer would be enough to reduce US carbon emissions by 5% over a period of just five years, and 7.4% in 10 years. Such figures are the equivalent of France’s total carbon footprint, or of total emissions resultant of petroleum refining and the steel and aluminium industry in the United States.

When asked to comment on the research factor, Dietz points out that the investment has been mostly on engineering approaches – but he does make it clear that the best possible technology will be of no use if people do not use it. For the time being, he encourages people to pay attention to behaviour and thus make real progress with the existing technologies.

Dietz’ estimates are not based on any kind of best-case consumer behaviour scenario. Rather, they make use of the best available information for the purpose of calculating the number of families that could reasonably be expected to enact such measures if provided information and financial assistance; and whether or not they could interact with others while at it.

But the list excludes possible emissions cuts with emerging technologies and with whole lifestyle changes. At the very least, Dietz claims that these conservation measures analyzed by the researchers include the benefit of a “demonstration effect” i.e. he would have people believe that when people adopt whatever changes, it will not be long before their acquaintances follow suit.

Dietz insists that there is a lot of research that supports the notion that people, companies and even governments will change their behaviour when they have seen their peers do it.