Oil consumption since 1980: U.S. way up; Europe down

To quote again from that April 20 New York Times article, “Barreling Along: The Big Thirst” [the following quote picks up at the end of the quote in Ross Capon’s April 21 blog entry]:

The United States is the only major industrialized nation to see its oil consumption surge since the oil shocks of the 1970s and 1980s. This can partly be explained by the fact that the United States has some of the lowest gasoline prices in the world, the least fuel-efficient cars on the roads, the lowest energy taxes, and the longest daily commutes of any industrialized nation. The result: about a quarter of the world’s oil goes to the United States every day, and of that, more than half goes to its cars and trucks.

An accompanying graphic showed the following changes in oil consumption from 1980 to 2007: Denmark -33%; Sweden -32%; Germany -20%; Switzerland -18%; France and Finland -14%; Italy -13%; Japan +0.2%; U.K. +2%; United States +21%.

Last night, Stephen Colbert addressed the various proposals for a summer holiday on the federal gas tax (see last week’s Hotline) through The Wørd, “proposing” free gas for everyone:

 

 

 

 

 

Colbert remarks:

I’m sure you’re asking, folks, “How will we pay for unlimited free gas?”  Well, the answer is simple:  I don’t care!  Besides, have you forgotten about a little thing called ‘our grandkids’?  Because they are very generous, even though they don’t know it yet.  They can be the generation that walks to work or uses public transportation!  They’ll have to, because without a gas tax to pay for infrastructure, there won’t be any roads.

—Matthew Melzer