It’s plausible that it’s talking about electrical energy (Escalator, Lift etc) rather than physical. Though yeah I get where you’re coming from, would bother me also.
I think they mean electrical energy
Yeah sign is clear as mud.
Energy in = energy out.
This means even if you wanted to be environmentally conscious and take the stairs rather than using electrical energy to move the elevator, somewhere there is still energy being spent to create the food that’s giving you that energy, and the electrical grid and elevator can do it at a way higher efficiency than you and the agricultural industry can, especially once multiple passengers are involved.
Isn’t it “cal” vs “kcal” (kilocalories), as in 1000cal?
Technically, yeah, 1 kilocalorie (kcal) = 1000 calories (cal), but in a lot of places (e.g. Americuh), we use the “Calorie” (with a capital C) in place of the kilocalorie.
In other words:
1 kilocalorie = 1 Calorie = 1000 calories
(1 kcal = 1 Cal = 1000 cal)
Yes, it is exactly as stupid as it sounds.
Trust me, I wish we made more sense. It would make my life a hell of a lot easier. Lol.