USA Today-
“STAT DU JOUR — USA Today 1A, “Worth gushing over: Oil output eclipses imports,” by Wendy Koch:”The United States tiptoed closer to energy independence last month when – for the first time in nearly two decades – it produced more crude oil than it imported, the U.S. government said Wednesday. The nation has been moving toward this milestone, pushed by two trends. Domestic oil production is at a 24-year high while foreign oil imports are at a 17-year low. The result: Production exceeded net imports for the first time since February 1995, although the nation still imports 35% of the petroleum it uses. Production has been booming partly because of … fracking … But consumption has fallen as high gasoline prices have reduced how much people drive. More efficient cars and buildings have also lowered energy use.”
To me, the key factors here are: less miles driven, more efficient cars being utilized and buildings have reduced energy demand. Those are factors that we individually control and that make a huge impact on demand for fossil fuels, green house gas production, water and air pollution and on our energy independence. We often think what can one person do? Here we see the result of the sum of all those one person actions. Today, be a Conscious Consumer and think about your impact when you plan your shopping and commuting trip, adjust the thermostat and decide on your next automobile purchase. Choose reducing, conserving and energy efficiency.
