Jevons paradox

English

Alternative forms

  • Jevons' paradox

Etymology

Named after English economist William Stanley Jevons (1835–1882).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈdʒɛvənz paɹədɒks/

Proper noun

the Jevons paradox

  1. (economics) The proposition that technological progress that increases the efficiency with which a resource is used tends to increase (rather than decrease) the rate of consumption of that resource.
    • 2019 November 1, Oliver Burkeman, “Not enough hours in the day? Well, finding more may not help”, in The Guardian‎[1]:
      One well-known example is electricity usage, where the Jevons paradox explains how making appliances more energy efficient can backfire by stimulating demand.

Synonyms

  • Jevons effect
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