The Core

I've seen articles claiming that people with EVs drive more once the guilt is gone. And we've discussed the real purpose of plastic recycling at length.

This is a classic article. I assume you've seen it: Nordhaus on the true cost of lighting. See the chart that spans pages 47-50 that looks at cost in terms of hours worked per 1000-lumen hours, from Bablyonia to 1992 (pre-LED).
https://lucept.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/william-nordhaus-the-cost-of-light.pdf

I do think there is a difference between a data center that is running business processes or even ChatGPT compared to Bitcoin. And Tik Tok

In general, people are so abstracted from their utilities and their food supply that it is hard for them to understand the impacts.

In my role on the District Advisory Committee overseeing water and sewer, I find myself explaining for example that running the water is energy intensive. People never think that. I explain that we spend $80k per year pumping water uphill so it can run back downhill into their home. That’s $400 per household.