USA vs total world oil consumption.

[OVERKILL]

20% of the worlds oil consumption by 5% of it's population is another way to look at it...

Yes, but a large portion of the global population still lives in abject poverty. Those people are aspiring to obtain the same standard of living we enjoy, and in doing so, will massively alter that figure (and also increase global emissions).

 

[Astro14]

It wasn't a crack at US consumption as such. The EU has a very similar consumption for 750 million people, so it's not like we're holier than the pope.

Yet another way to lok at it would be: Oil = GDP

Precisely my point - energy consumption (for which oil is a proxy, in this discussion) is very closely correlated to GDP.

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

Ahh yes, the old "if we can't 100% solve the problem we should just do absolutely nothing" argument.

 

[Astro14]

Ahh yes, the old "if we can't 100% solve the problem we should just do absolutely nothing" argument.

Closely related to the “we have to do something, even if it’s costly and completely ineffective” argument.

 

[wpod]

We have the largest military in the world, by far. I saw something recently indicating that Navy vessels alone consume an outsized percentage total U.S. consumption. Add that to the fact that we commute more and have few mass transit opportunities outside large concentrated population centers and it's pretty easy to see why reducing our consumption is going to be very challenging.

Most people do think beyond what the Tv tells them to think.

 

[OVERKILL]

Closely related to the “we have to do something, even if it’s costly and completely ineffective” argument.

Cue Ontario's GEA which did nothing but drive up rates.

There's SO much focus put on virtue signalling with seemingly little to none put into actual planning and projections based on actual data.

 

[PimTac]

We have the largest military in the world, by far. I saw something recently indicating that Navy vessels alone consume an outsized percentage total U.S. consumption. Add that to the fact that we commute more and have few mass transit opportunities outside large concentrated population centers and it's pretty easy to see why reducing our consumption is going to be very challenging.

We live in a very large country. Mass transit works in dense populations of which ours are scattered for the most part, especially out west.

The alternative would be to live in high rises in dense urban areas. Your homes will be smaller. The better locations will be determined by the proximity to transit, ie train station. Look at metro Tokyo for example which has the gold standard in mass transit. You are talking close to 50 million people living in that metro. The busiest stations handle over one billion passengers a year and yes that is billion.

 

[4WD]

One important thing about US oil consumption is that agriculture uses a lot of oil for farm equipment and chemicals, and US farmers historically have fed much of the world. We have exported a lot of grain and other foodstuffs. Those are products other countries importing US foodstuffs haven't had to produce themselves, so their oil consumption is artificially lower.

This whole subject has so many ifs, ands, and buts, plus loads of nuances...

Been seeing some massive farm equipment here for rice, corn, other grains, and cotton … Crops as far as the eye can see takes a bunch of 18 wheelers too …

There is a CAT dealer here also - don’t forget what construction consumes - Infrastructure be coming dot com

 

[Nick1994]

Interesting, I thought it would have been a lot less.

Let’s get moving on using alternative fueled vehicles and other power sources.

 

[Kristian]

It wasn't a crack at US consumption as such. The EU has a very similar consumption for 750 million people, so it's not like we're holier than the pope.

Yet another way to lok at it would be: Oil = GDP

There are 445 million people in EU though.

 

[ecotourist]

On a per capita basis the US ranks number 2 behind Canada and is 8x greater than that of China. In any case the US is not alone with these policies.

Canada certainly has work to do.

We have built in problems like a small population and very long distances (said to be the reason why everything costs so much in Canada) and a cold climate. The cold climate requires energy expenditure on heating and makes heat pumps inefficient in a lot of the populated area. Highly energy dependent agriculture is a big industry. How many other places on earth do you find farms (yes farms, not ranches) of 25,000 acres? All farmed with a staff of a half dozen or less, and big machinery.

But we also have opportunities to produce renewable energy - abundant water power, lots of wind and vast areas with consistent sunshine. We also have our own uranium and an industrial group that is quite capable of using it to produce electricity.

Another opportunity is the reduction of fugitive emissions (largely methane) from our oil and gas industry. Methane has a much bigger impact than CO2 does on climate change.

 

[SeaJay]

Given today's technology, I think that the percentage of total power consumed in the US by renewable (wind, solar, etc.) sources will hit a limit, and that limit will be a lot lower percentage of the total than the "we have to stop using any fossil fuels at all" crowd is hoping that it will be. Time will tell.

 

[Jack Watts]

In our quest to solve the world’s problems by moving to electric cars I just wanted to remind folks that the USA consumes 18 million bbls of oil per day but the total world consumption is closer to 100 million bbls per day. It’s sort of like establishing a no peeing section in the world swimming pool.

I don't think these numbers really support the point you're trying to make...

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

One important thing about US oil consumption is that agriculture uses a lot of oil for farm equipment and chemicals, and US farmers historically have fed much of the world. We have exported a lot of grain and other foodstuffs. Those are products other countries importing US foodstuffs haven't had to produce themselves, so their oil consumption is artificially lower.

This whole subject has so many ifs, ands, and buts, plus loads of nuances...

We export due to various agricultural subsidies along with the accompaning "goodwill" on the international stage.

 

[BISCUT]

It wasn't a crack at US consumption as such. The EU has a very similar consumption for 750 million people, so it's not like we're holier than the pope.

Yet another way to lok at it would be: Oil = GDP

I'd argue in the US oil no longer equates to GDP. Prior to 1980 oil was a key factor in the US GDP but since it is rather a small percentile of meaningful GPD. Hence the lack of political care for the cost of a barrel of crude. The US simply does not have the manufacturing base to require mass amounts of crude as we once did decades ago.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Been seeing some massive farm equipment here for rice, corn, other grains, and cotton … Crops as far as the eye can see takes a bunch of 18 wheelers too …

There is a CAT dealer here also - don’t forget what construction consumes - Infrastructure be coming dot com

Twelve combines lined up on a guy’s farm in Saskatchewan.

 

[Cujet]

Yup...and it's not like reducing 20% of the world's oil consumption would have an insignificant impact.

I think it is relatively insignificant. The majority of national energy use is not automotive. Cars use only 14% of our energy. Cutting automotive energy consumption in half only reduces our national energy consumption by 7%.

Far better to know where the maximum gains can be made, and address them first.

 

[Kiwi_ME]

Energy use in general not an issue, it's only that derived from fossil fuels. The EPA says this regarding the elephant in the room, for 2019.

I really wish there was an easy solution but there isn't. Perhaps this is a hint as to why no other animal on Earth starts and exploits fire?

 

[Sam_Julier]

20% of the worlds oil consumption by 5% of it's population is another way to look at it...

What is the value added by the 5%?

 

[Cujet]

What is the value added by the 5%?

Telegraph
Telephone
Light bulb
Phonograph
Movies
Airplane
Transistor
Rocket, liquid fueled/moon landing
Atomic power
Microprocessor
Internet
Smart Phone
I've left out just a few....

It is my opinion that technology is single handedly responsible for the increase in mankind's well being the world over. You are welcome!