Energy Use in the USA

The United States of America is the world's largest energy producer, consumer, and net importer of energy. How? Why? –Trends in energy consumption –Social explanations –Current situation

Top World Oil Consumers, 2006 (thousand barrels per day) ‏ (

Energy Consumption: Total energy consumption per capita Units: Kilograms of oil equivalent (kgoe) per person World Resources Institute: Earth Trends

History of US energy use by source (quadrillion BTU)‏

Attitudes towards energy use The “American Dream” Environmentalism Responsible Consumerism

The “American Dream” Current concept has roots in 1950's Any one can “make it” - regardless of background House 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 automobile 84% of travel in USA by car Fuel efficiency has not traditionally been important to American consumers SUV'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 (

Environmentalism Modern environmentalism began in 1962 with Rachel Carson's Silent Spring Anti-pollution legislation Post- environmentalism?

Pollution 1963 Clean Air Act 1990 – amendment to the clean air act began system of carbon trading. 1997: The US signs the Kyoto protocol -but never ratifies the treaty –Some state and local governments have

Acquisitions of “alarmism” The “greatest hoax in history” According 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 consumer Save the environment without sacrificing quality of life: –New energy-saving appliances, light bulbs –Carbon offsets –Hybrid cars –Supporting “green” companies

Energy per dollar of GDP/PPP