2. Energy Use, Economy, and Carbon Emissions
7. Environment and Energy Efficiency
2. Energy Use, Economy, and Carbon Emissions
Fuel Consumption Mix
Fuel Production Mix
Overall Energy Balance
Energy Consumption per
Dollar of GDP
Energy Consumption per Capita
Energy-Related Carbon
Emissions Patterns
Fuel Consumption Mix ...
- North and South America show markedly differing fuel consumption patterns.
- Oil, for instance, makes up about 40% of energy consumption in North America, vs. 50% in South America.
- Coal makes up a far greater share (21%) of North American energy consumption than of South American (around 3%).
- Hydroelectricity and “other” account for about 28% of consumption in South America (mostly hydro), almost 4 times their share in North America (8%, also mostly hydro). “Other” includes geothermal, wind, and solar power.
- Natural gas, the use of which requires extensive pipeline systems, is also more utilized (24% of total consumption) in North America than in South America (17%).
- Nuclear power is far more highly developed in North America, where it makes up 7% of total energy consumption, than in southern America, where it accounts for less than 1%.
- North and South America display widely divergent fuel production patterns as well.
- Only about 29% of North American energy supply, for instance, is accounted for by oil, compared to South America’s 60% share for oil production.
- Coal, on the other hand, makes up around 26% of North America’s fuel production mix, compared to less than 5% in South America.
- Natural gas also makes up a larger share (28%) of the North American fuel mix than it does in South America, where it accounts for only 13% of production.
- Hydroelectricity/other account for 8% of North America’s total energy production, as opposed to 22% in South America. Nuclear power, on the other hand, makes up a far greater share of North America’s fuel production mix (8%) than South America’s (0.1%).
- North America is a major (and growing) net importer of energy, while South America is a large, though diminishing, net exporter, due to growths in internal demand.
- North America currently is a net importer of 9.9 quadrillion Btu (quads) of energy per year, while South America is a net exporter of about 6.2 quads.
- North America’s net imports peaked at 15.8 quads in 1978, dropped sharply following the 1979/1980 oil crisis, reached their low point of 2.7 quads in 1982, and then began rising again. By 2020, North America is forecast to be importing around 22 quads of energy on a net basis.
- South America’s net exports were 5.3 quads in 1970, dropped sharply (to 0.6 quads) through 1980, and then began a sharp rise which should increase the region’s net energy exports to 6.5 quads in 2000, and decreasing to less than 3 quads in 2020.
Energy Consumption per Dollar of GDP
... 
- Energy intensities generally fell in North America (except for Mexico) between 1970 and 1997, but were mixed in South America.
- In North America, Canada consistently had the highest energy/GDP ratio between 1970 and 1997, although it declined 26% during the period. The U.S. energy/GDP ratio also declined sharply (33%) between 1970 and 1997, while Mexico’s rose 12%.
- In South America, the large oil-producing country of Venezuela increased its energy/GDP ratio between 1970 and 1997, by 64%, while Argentina’s, Brazil’s, and Colombia’s ratios remained approximately constant.
- In general, the countries of Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia consume relatively similar amounts of energy to produce a dollar of output.
Energy Consumption per Capita ...
- Between 1970 and 1997, per capita energy consumption was consistently much higher in North America than in South America, and tended to rise in most countries of both regions.
- In North America, U.S. energy consumption per person remained approximately flat between 1970 and 1997, while Canada’s and Mexico’s rose 28% and 71%, respectively.
- In South America, Brazil’s per capita energy consumption rose 186%, compared to 75% in Colombia, 37% in Venezuela, and approximately 30% in Argentina.
- Despite rapid increases in Mexico and in many countries of South America, U.S. and Canadian per capita energy consumption remained far above any other country of North or South America between 1970 and 1997.
-
C. & S. America, Energy Consumption per Capita Graph
North America, Energy Consumption per Capita Graph
Energy-Related Carbon Emissions
Patterns ...
- Carbon emissions increased significantly in nearly every country of North and South America between 1970 and 1997, although the United States still emitted more carbon than all other countries of the Americas combined.
- The most rapid growth in carbon emissions between 1970 and 1997 was in Mexico (235%), followed by Brazil (220%), Venezuela (147%), Colombia (128%), “other” South American countries (48%), Argentina (46%), Canada (43%), and the United States (31%).
- The United States, which accounts for nearly 90% of North American GDP and about 68% of its population, also is responsible for about 85% of North America’s carbon emissions.
- With the largest population and economy by far in South America, Brazil emits more carbon than any other country in the region. Besides “other” countries, Venezuela — by far the largest regional oil producer — ranks second in carbon emissions, followed closely by Argentina and Colombia (another large oil producer).
