Energy
Consumption in the US:
Red State and Blue State Comparisons
by John Freeland of
SustainableMiddleClass.com
Which
States are truly conservative?
The States won by Bush in 2004 consumed 51% more energy per capita
in 2001 that the states won by Kerry.
The
intention of this article, and of my website, is to be is non-partisan
as possible and praise politicians of all persuasions who have the
courage to put forth sustainable policies and criticize those who
would take the country in the wrong direction, that is, a direction
where we as a society fail to prepare for our children's and their
children's future. Perhaps no organization does this kind of non-partisan
constructive criticism than the Concord Coalition, and I wish people
would pay more attention to them.
The United States
is in an especially polarized political condition at this time and
we have the "Red State-Blue State" phenomenon with what
appear to be starkly differing perspectives about where, ideologically,
the United States needs to be. This web site will explore several
indicators of sustainable policies and societal health with respect
to building and preserving a healthy, prosperous, sustainable middle
class. As we are presented with choices of Republican "Red
State" or Democratic "Blue State" policies, it may
be enlightening to review the products of those policies - state
data - as they relate to the three E's of sustainability: economic
vitality, environmental quality, and social equity.
We
begin with a look at energy consumption, which relates strongly
to the concepts of economic vitality and environmental quality.
Obviously, the more efficiently we as a society can use energy,
the more energy will be available to our progeny, the less pollution
we'll have from burning fuel, and the less capital we will have
to send overseas to purchase fuel. Our energy future, air quality,
and current account balance would all benefit from more efficient
use of energy.
Energy
Consumption Data Source: Energy Information Administration
The graph shows
the per capita energy consumption for each of the fifty states as
of year 2001. The data may raise more questions than answers, but
the Red States are, on average, using substantially more (51% more)
energy per capita than their Blue State counterparts.
It's easy to
understand how Alaska would have the highest rate of consumption:
people need to keep warm and travel great distances from one town
to another. But why would the third-highest per capita energy consumption
belong to Louisiana?
Nine of the
ten states with the highest per capita energy consumption went to
George Bush in the 2004 Election. Eight of the ten states with the
lowest per capita energy consumption went to John Kerry.
Based
on the data presented here, the message seems pretty clear: the
"Blue States" are closer to having a sustainable energy
lifestyle than are the "Red States." Honestly, all the
states have a along way to go to achieve sustainability.
Energy
Consumption Table (Energy Information Administration, US Department
Of Energy, Data For 2001)
Rank,
State, Per Capita Consumption (Million Btu)
Alaska
1164; Wyoming 890; Louisiana 784; North Dakota 640; Texas 564; Kentucky
462; Indiana 457; Oklahoma 444; Alabama 435; West Virginia 423;
Arkansas 411; Mississippi 410; Montana 404; Iowa 392; Kansas 387;
Tennessee 382; Maine 382; South Carolina 382; Idaho 379; New Mexico
371; Delaware 368; Nebraska 365; Minnesota 350; Ohio 350; Wisconsin
345; Georgia 343; Washington 339; South Dakota 327; Missouri 322;
Virginia 322; Pennsylvania 319; Utah 318; North Carolina 316; Michigan
312; Illinois 309; Oregon 307; Nevada 301; New Jersey 294; Colorado
287; Vermont 267; Maryland 264; New Hampshire 256; Arizona 255;
Florida 253; Connecticut 249; Massachusetts 242; Hawaii 230; California
227; New York 217; Rhode Island 215.
John
Freeland is the Webmaster of SustainableMiddleClass.com.
His site is about how to build a growing, sustainable middle class.
It is about bringing more of those who are economically distressed
or disenfranchized into a sustainable middle class, and maintaining
a high quality of life for ourselves, our children, and their children.
Call
Enviro-Friendly today on (02) 6282 6266, and find out how we can
help you
"Save water, save energy, save
money, and save the environment."
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