> Look no further than energy consumption per capita in the US. It's drastically higher than in other developed countries.
There are many reasons for this:
- they are richer, so they can afford bigger houses and larger cars. You think Europeans wouldn't like to live in a larger house, or drive a larger car? This is not a choice, or efficiency improvements, this is just Europeans not being able to afford more.
- they have more land, so they can afford to live in quiet suburbia, surrounded by trees and lawns rather than noisy, polluted neighborhoods.
- they produce their own energy. Oil import-export is close to net zero and they export gas. Producing oil and gas is energy intensive. Europe on the other hand imports energy, and don't have to account for those emissions.
- they live further south, and need constant AC in the summer.
There are inefficiencies in the US, for example houses are poorly insulated; but these inefficiencies are a little overblown, when compared to Europe. If Europeans would live at the same standards of living like the Americans, and produce their own energy, they would be close in energy consumption.
There are many reasons for this: - they are richer, so they can afford bigger houses and larger cars. You think Europeans wouldn't like to live in a larger house, or drive a larger car? This is not a choice, or efficiency improvements, this is just Europeans not being able to afford more. - they have more land, so they can afford to live in quiet suburbia, surrounded by trees and lawns rather than noisy, polluted neighborhoods. - they produce their own energy. Oil import-export is close to net zero and they export gas. Producing oil and gas is energy intensive. Europe on the other hand imports energy, and don't have to account for those emissions. - they live further south, and need constant AC in the summer.
There are inefficiencies in the US, for example houses are poorly insulated; but these inefficiencies are a little overblown, when compared to Europe. If Europeans would live at the same standards of living like the Americans, and produce their own energy, they would be close in energy consumption.