A Strategy for American Power: Energy, Climate and National Security
Abstract
The United States is engaged in a new war, and it is a war like no other in our history. Today, we are at war with the gas pump and the power plant - and the gas pump and the power plant, for the most part, are winning. These strange foes can be explained in a handful of numbers: 22 million : Barrels of oil Americans consume every day. 60 percent : U.S. oil demand met by imports. 96 percent : Cars on U.S. roads that rely on oil products. Two-thirds: Global oil reserves in the Middle East. 46 percent : Forecast increase in global oil demand by 2030. 50 percent : U.S. electricity that comes from coal-fired power plants. 200 years: How long America's coal reserves would last at current rates of consumption. 70 percent : Growth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions between 1970 and 2004. 70 -90 percent : Approximate greenhouse gas emissions the United States would have to cut in the next 40 years to avoid the worst effects of climate change. These numbers add up to a tremendous vulnerability. The United States is dependent on geopolitically problematic and polluting oil, and the most likely substitute, coal-fired electricity, is even worse for the Earth's climate, with grave implications for future national security.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA506646
Entities
People
- Amy M. Jaffe
- Christine Matthews
- Christine Parthemore
- Jason Furman
- John Busby
- Sharon Burke
Organizations
- Center for a New American Security