California single-handedly uses as much gasoline as China

That's nice, but California has one of the lowest energy consumption rates per capita in America.

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cf...

This reminds me of when CNN said that, because there were more weekly homicides in California than Iraq, and because California is the same size as Iraq, Iraq was safer.

Didn't anyone take a Logic class in College?

It's sobering once you realize only a small fraction of humans live the way the average American does.

If everyone lived like Americans, it would take the resources from something like 8 earths to sustain us.

Jade is right- our public transportation system in California is next to non-existent. We need vast improvements in PT as soon as possible. The main problem for the folks in Sacramento, where I live, is getting the neighborhood associations and voters to agree that it is necessary.

I'd like to see a pod on this story. Good post!

I guess Al Gore didn't get the message out in California, isn't Cali one of those big LIB states... all those Movie producers and Movie stars that are constantly beating the conservation drum.

Now I'm not defending California because no matter what that is just a disgusting amount of fuel being used. But we also have to remember that not all 1.3 billion Chinese own or have vehicles. I would imagine the person to vehicle ratio is quite skewed compared to California, where probably a majority of the population does own a vehicle and not just that but many may own up to two or three vehicles. The whole country has a problem with over consumption. If you added the other 49 states to that figure it would be even more appalling.

There's an effort, however. I used to live here in California. Visiting for the summer, it's nice to see people riding bikes again.

Sure, as much gasoline, because California probably has as many automobiles as China.

Plus, you gotta wonder where we got those numbers for China/Russia, and also what other states gas consumption is.

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH , LIBERAL BITCHES!!!!!!!!!!!

this makes me embarrassed to be from California

Dmitri_Molotov makes the point I was looking for - California probably has the same number of automobiles as China. Sure, China has a population of over 1 billion, but what percentage do you think can actually afford a car? China still has very high consumption demand for oil and oil derived products as industrial inputs - gasoline for cars is only a part of it.

This is yet another example of an obviously biased story intended to invoke emotion in those unwilling to look at the picture as a while. What you have to consider when comparing the consumption rate of California to China is that China has relatively few automobiles on the road in comparison the latter. As the auto industry is currently booming in China, in times they will eclipse the US and Canada combined.

Well I guess it's time to drive less and consider public transportation or ride bicycles for short trips.

Beside of the fact that all that gasoline used in just one state is alarming I wander about all the emission this produce.

Not only one state is consuming as much as many countries but is also polluting as much as well.

This is obviously a big Fat Lie and people should not fall for this one... Please.. a 1.3 Billion country consuming less than California... hua hua hua! North Americans... always thinking they are so important and putting up wrong statements...

GROW THE FUCK UP!

What else would you expect from a place like... California

San Franciscooo! Your hippying isn't helping much; I think more forceful tactics are needed: get the governator to introduce (and enforce in a terminatoresque way) a new slogan:

"Go Green, or I'll be back (for a second term!)"

WoW, this was a fascinating article. I never would have guessed California consumed soo much energy. Green is the future, but the term "Green" is soo last year. Arg! Lets all take bets on when we think the economy is going to rebound, 2+ years are even longer?

How can 36 Million people use as much gas as 1.3 BILLION. That is sickening. I feel ashamed as a Californian.

Yeah, for all the innovative thinkers in CA there are twice as many dipshits in hummers. I really think this is about standard of living. Flyingkick has a good point--not many people live like the folks here in CA. I'm talking the good life man, un-effing-believable. I know. I live here. I see it all around me. And makes me sick.

The truth is, though, a lot of these people aren't really happy. Enough said there, the American dream is dead. I really worry that we can do something about this situation we're in on a global scale, but we won't. We won't because someone has to start first, and it should probably be Californians. And unless they selflessly stand up and say, "Hey, I'm going to voluntarily reduce my standard of living so other people can have more," then it's a lost cause and forget it, our species is doomed.

Our economy might bounce back a little, but we're looking at a future where its going to get a lot worse, and then we'll be dead. Maybe I'm just pessimistic, but I really don't think people are altruistic enough to make those kind of sacrifices.

The Earth will always be here. It's us (humanity) we need to worry about saving.

Let's just give California back to Mexico.

Ok I hate California as much as the rest of you, I have my reasons.

For fairness sake however we should combine the entire east coast minus say maine, vermont, connecticut, rhode island, & massachusetts I guess and see how their oil usage compares. It is probably still less because we have much more public transportation here but for comparisons sake it would be interesting.

The problem with California is not the liberals, it is
the Proposition 13 passed in the 70's by conservatives.
It requires that we have 66% to raise a tax for any purpose. We tried to get a train for Sonoma and Marin
counties - but we only got 60% of Marin and 66% of
Sonoma - but that wasn't enough because of prop 13.
We have tyranny of the minority here, so don't blame
the liberals.

The oil companies and car companies bought up all of California's public transportation systems decades ago and in its place, put the first freeways.

Since then, they've lobbied and fought to keep it that way, and now there is no other way to travel in California.

Sure, there's the BART for NoCal people, but that's relatively new. And for us SoCal people? We're still boned.

You might also want to keep in mind that we're the aggro capital of the world, so all of the Big Semis come roaring in and out to feed us and the rest of the nation.

Also, we're not a very liberal state, that's a very common misconception. Besides San Francisco and PARTS of Los Angeles, the whole state is basically neo-con. Most of whom have migrated from other states, then pretend to be Californian. People in MidCali, a lot of them have southern accents, and the Mojave might as well be Texas. Guns and dirtbikes galore.

And to Steph, who said we should be given back to Mexico, we'd much rather be independent thank you very much. We're one of the largest economies in the world and we have our own culture, one that the rest of the U.S. doesn't care for or appreciate. Hell, most people don't even think of Californians as Americans, they think of us as Californian. We'd have no problem breaking off from you people, we spend most of our time trying to understand your idiocy and the rest of the time supporting your idiocy. Enjoy massive depression and starvation when we're gone!

i don't believe that... maybe
but can we see a breakdown on what industries use how much? that would be interesting.
might have to research that one.

There is a big mis-perception about California. Berkeley, SF, UCLA usually lead the green ideas, but the whole state gets lumped into being assumed to be green or assumed to be liberal. If you look at the voting record, about 45% are Republican. there 34 million here in California and our state loves automobiles, thus there are literally 3 cars per person here. I live in NorthCal, hence the name for the past 5 years and I was shocked to see so many luxury cars and SUVs. You will also see more Hybrids and alt-fuel autos here too. I drive a small car am waiting for more bio-diesels to come out after my lease is up. On the surface California does look hypocritical, but our country has been brain washed into materialism and buy-buy-buy supply-side economics. Those of us who are trying to promote greener cars and greener tech and greener regulation, get ignored or crushed or pushed out by the multi-billion dollar lobbyists for oil and Auto-Industry. At the same time the right-wing corporations have taken over the mass media sending out materialism messages while condemning people for being too materialistic or not materialistic enough. Follow the money and see who is winning off the crisis. That's my opinion...

I don't believe it for a second!

Wouldn't it be interesting if we were only allowed X number of vehicles per person.

This is one of the huge reasons i sold my car and got a bike. Every thing is so close together in Cali, But still everyone has a car and has to drive everywhere, even if its just down the street. Makes me sick.

Well, it also depends on where you live in California. If every other place was built the way Southern California was, I would believe this article 100%. I have my doubts but then again I am not surprised when I read this.

Being a Californian who lives in the Southern part of the state, I can assure you that everything being built here is in the sense that you DRIVE THERE. I have been trying to ride my bicycle to work but it is a hassle every single day. First of all, there are hardly any bike lanes. Second of all, drivers here are not familiarized with the road rules and how to drive too. And last, everything is far away from each other. I have to drive about 10 miles to get to my nearest Target store as an example.

On a more sarcastic note, I get cut off by officers who think I am not obeying the law when I ride my bike on the sidewalk. It's a long story but I feel that even the officers here do not know the laws. If they give us more transportation alternatives, etc... maybe then we can drive less.

I'm sick of the bullshit.

Americans are retarded and they'll wake up when we live in a slave-like fascist society (not that we dont already). No one will want to handle any of these crisis' until its too late b/c they dont care about anything thats not on their FRICKING DOORSTEP.

oh my gosh thats disgusting

how is this really possible? its kind of shameful to be an american in todays world.

California drivers need to learn to be less wasteful. Many of the drivers don't even think about carpooling or cycling or using the mass transit systems. Just check out the highway most cars have a driver and no passengers,everybody has to drive fast because that's how they roll in California. Hopefully they can fix the problem but driving,driving is a part of their lifestyle.