US Fossil Fuel Dependency

By: EconomyWatch   Date: 30 April 2010

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Fossil fuel dependency in America has been an issue of major concern for quite some time now. Fossil fuels like natural gas, oil, and coal meet 85% of the total energy requirement of the United States of America. In the year 2001, America accounted for more than 25% of the total fossil fuel consumption of the world.

Use of fossil fuels by private and public transportation systems in America has increased significantly over the years. Among the other major consumers of fossil fuels, the US industrial sector and defense are worth mentioning. The easy availability fossil fuels played a major behind America’s growing dependence on fossil fuels. Rapid development of petrochemical, automotive and trucking industries and airlines industry in the United States has further increased the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels.

The increased use of fossil fuels has resulted in a number of unfavorable environmental changes. Global warming, acid rain, air pollution, land and water pollution, and thermal pollution are some of the major consequences of excessive dependence on fossil fuels.

Considering the adverse effects of fossil fuel use, the federal government of the United States has started initiating a number of policy measures to reduce the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels. Attempts are on to undertake a “new industrial revolution”.

The US federal government has focused on the use of renewable sources of energy as an alternative to fossil fuels. As a major step towards reducing fossil fuel dependency in America, the US government has taken initiatives to promote investments for building up energy-efficient infrastructure.

Around 72% of the fossil fuel savings plan of the United States is based on electricity generation from alternative sources. This plan also puts stress on use of light truck fitted with plug-in batteries and hybrid cars to cut down gasoline consumption. Use of synthetic gasses generated from biomass is also expected to reduce America’s fossil fuel dependency.


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