A Revealing Ad from the DOE

My latest at Forbes.  Here's the opening:


Not long ago I heard a shocking radio advertisement from the US Department of Energy and the Ad Council. Convinced that I misheard it, I downloaded the ad from the Ad Council’s website. Here’s my transcription of the opening, including sound effects in brackets { }:

“This is the sound of a brand new outdoor grill being hurled off a 20 storey building {Crash! Bang!}. Now a stylish glass coffee table {Whoosh! Shatter!}. An electric guitar {Boing! Kerplunk!}.

These are the things you could enjoy, all cast into oblivion, because when you throw away money on wasted electricity, you throw away everything you could have bought with it.”

After reading this, you might wonder: “How could this be considered shocking?  Of course money spent on energy is not available for spending on other things.  Indeed, what could be more logical and incontrovertible?”  But if you’ll take a minute to consider both the source and intent of the ad, you might just join me in my consternation.

Read the whole thing.

PS This post's title is the title I'd originally proposed for the article.