Reference page for the DEMAND Dictionary entry: Innovation. For the full dictionary, click here.
1. Morley, J. (2014) Size is everything at Christmas and your oven is no exception. The Conversation.
Ovens are designed and optimised for roasting large birds. As a result, they are typically oversized for regular use – making their total energy consumption greater than necessary. And it is not only overs that are designed to cope with the demands of Christmas. This article points to questions about the relation between technical provision, sizing for the peak, and actual patterns of consumption and demand.
2. Spurling, N. (2014) Tesla’s techno-cars are the right answer to the wrong question. The Conversation.
The technology of the Tesla car is certainly impressive but it is concerning to see innovations of this kind being promoted as the key to a more sustainable future – especially if they come at the expense of pursuing other ways to solve the problem such as reducing the demand for mobility in the first place.