Agas and Bentleys: slow-tech solutions for an 'overwound world'

Aga cookers and Bentley cars, derided by environmentalists, could be perfect "slow-tech" solutions for a world obsessed by efficiency, a leading academic has claimed.

By Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Editor Published: 5:00PM BST 12 Jun 2009

Aga: they burn lots of oil, but they can last a lifetime, Prof Price argues
Both are gas guzzlers, but their reputation should be reconsidered, along with other "slow-tech" ideas because they are "robust" and able to last for decades, according to Andrew Price, a professor of biosciences at Warwick University.
He argues in his book, Slow-Tech, just published, that engineers and politicians prize efficiency over robustness and in doing so discard many successful ideas.

He admits both Agas and Bentleys are luxuries that only a few can afford, but they should not be seen as "dinosaurs".
"A Formula One car now lasts just two race weekends if they are lucky. Their engines are effectively disposable. Our family has managed to keep the same Bentley on the road for 80 years.
"Their ecological footprint is far from green. But if prolonged existence – reducing the need to scrap or recycle – and absence of electronic chips (which carry environmental costs) are considered, claims that these relics are little more than polluting monsters may be slightly wide of the mark."
Aga cookers, invented in 1922 and little changed since then, also have a very poor environmental record for the amount of oil they burn, but Prof Price says campaigners fail to take into account the fact an Aga needs little maintenance, can heat radiators, dry clothes and last for decades.
Over-engineering, adding time and slack to the system is ultimately is a better way of doing things than cutting corners, and trimming spend, he argues – suggesting the NHS would ultimately save lives and money if invested in more hospital beds, a move that would help stop the spread of disease.
The Energy Saving Trust said it disagreed with Prof Price’s argument about robustness, saying nearly all energy-consuming products such as cars and ovens used more energy during their lifetime than during their manufacture and disposal.
“In the case of passenger cars, around 15 per cent of life cycle emissions come from manufacture and disposal, the rest comes from the fuel burnt over the car’s lifetime,” a spokesman said.