Energy Use in the USA

Energy Use in the USAThe United States of America is the world's largest energy producer, consumer, and net importer of energy. How? Why?Trends in energy consumptionSocial explanationsCurrent situation

Top World Oil Consumers, 2006(thousand barrels per day)(www.EIS.gov)

Energy Consumption: Total energy consumption per capitaUnits: Kilograms of oil equivalent (kgoe) per personWorld Resources Institute: Earth Trends

History of US energy use by source (quadrillion BTU)

Attitudes towards energy useThe American DreamEnvironmentalismResponsible Consumerism

The American DreamCurrent concept has roots in 1950'sAny one can make it - regardless of backgroundHouse in the suburbs, two cars

Electricity consumption by 107 million U.S. households in 2001 totaled 1,140 billion kWh. The most significant end uses were central air-conditioning and refrigerators, each of which accounted for about 14 percent of the U.S. Total. (

The automobile84% of travel in USA by car Fuel efficiency has not traditionally been important to American consumersSUV's

Passenger vehicles in the US According to the US Bureau of Transit Statistics for 2004 there are 243,023,485 registered passenger vehicles in the US

Fuel consumption of US cars(www.bts.gov)

EnvironmentalismModern environmentalism began in 1962 with Rachel Carson's Silent SpringAnti-pollution legislationPost-environmentalism?

Pollution1963 Clean Air Act1990 amendment to the clean air act began system of carbon trading.1997: The US signs the Kyoto protocol -but never ratifies the treatySome state and local governments have

Acquisitions of alarmismThe greatest hoax in historyAccording to one poll about 64% of Americans think that scientists disagree about whether global warming is happening (they don't)

A convenient approach

The environmental consumerSave the environment without sacrificing quality of life:New energy-saving appliances, light bulbsCarbon offsetsHybrid carsSupporting green companies

Energy per dollar of GDP/PPP