Government Control Vs. Individual Responsibility

Climate Central intern Ruthie Nachmany writes how one conference on energy envisions individuals taking a role in being energy efficient, while another conference prefers cities creating systems that can lead to energy efficiency.

1 minute read

July 13, 2011, 1:00 PM PDT

By Kristopher Fortin


Energy conferences held in New York City and Philadelphia had two contrasting views on how to handle energy efficiency.

At the America's Sustainable Future conference in Philadelphia:

"Personal responsibility will likely come to manage energy, but

The take-away message: If people have control over their own energy consumption - and if the right incentives are in place - they're likely to become more efficient. For example, if energy costs are cheaper in the middle of the night, when electricity demand is low, people might program their dishwasher to run at that time."

At the New York City's Sustainability Media Roundtable on Effective Energy Management:

"In this conversation, the message was, 'if you build it they will come.' In other words, cities need to install the right infrastructure so people don't have to think about whether they are being more efficient. As Bruce Katz from Brookings Institution put it, 'in the absence of federal leadership, cities give us the best hope that the U.S. can move forward [with energy efficiency].'"

Friday, July 8, 2011 in Climate Central

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

15 minutes ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

2 hours ago - InTransition Magazine

Row of older brick houses in Detroit with front porches and front lawns.

Detroit Says Problems With Property Tax Assessments are Fixed. Advocates Disagree.

With higher-valued properties under assessed and lower-valued properties over assessed, advocates say there's still a problem with Detroit's property tax system.

4 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine