Posted on 01/02/2002 5:02:33 PM PST by JDoutrider
Environmentalists love to point out that the UnitedStates, with only 5 percent of the world's population, consumes 25 percent of the world's energy. That oft-repeated statistic is designed to make Americans feel guilty about our energy use. Before you trade in your SUV, here are a few statistics enviromentalists don't want you to know.
1. Despite bigger houses, bigger cars, personal computers and other electrical gadgets, per-capita energy consumption hasn't increased since 1973.
2. With only 5 percent of the population, America produces 20 percent of the world's energy. That makes us the most efficient energy producers on the planet. Perhaps the rest of the world should feel guilty for being such slackers at producing energy.
3. We import 5 percent of the world's energy, less per capita than any major industrial country. Most of the energy we import is crude oil from countries that can produce it cheaper than we can. The United States has the resources to be self proficient in energy, but do you want to pay $5 dollars per gallon of gas?
4. With only 5 percent of the population, America produces 30 percent of the world's gross domestic product. Not only are we the most productive country in the world, but also the most energy efficient. Instead of an energy hog, The United States is a model for the rest of the world.
5. Only a third of the energy we use is for our homes and automobiles. The rest is used in manufacturing, commercial transportation, and retail/office buildings.
Energy is produced only to meet demand. If our economy slows, so will energy consumption.
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