CBCN: China passes U.S. as top energy consumer

[China]

China passes U.S. as top energy consumer

For the first time in more than a century, a country other than the United States consumed more energy than any other nation, as China grabbed the top spot last year.

Citing data from the International Energy Agency, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday that China was the world's most voracious consumer of energy in 2009.

China consumed 2,252 million tonnes of "oil equivalent" last year, topping the U.S. tally of 2,170 tonnes by roughly four per cent.

Oil equivalent is the term the IEA uses to bring all forms of energy into a comparable form, including crude oil, nuclear, coal, natural gas, hydroelectricity, wind and solar power.

China was forecast to overtake the U.S. at some point over the next decade. But the global recession appears to have sped up the process as its economy continued to expand at a double-digit pace while the U.S. economy declined and oil consumption flatlined.

Only 10 years ago, China's energy consumption was half that of the United States.

"The fact that China overtook the U.S. as the world's largest energy consumer symbolizes the start of a new age in the history of energy," IEA chief economist Fatih Birol was quoted as saying.

China had already passed the United States as the world's largest polluter several years ago.

With a population of a little over 300 million, the United States still uses much more energy, per capita, than China does.

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[Burgold]

China,

shame on you. See the result of all your posting! Mass waste of energy. Do you think ES stands for Energy Surplus!!!

(It's not a surprise. As China and India become more and more industrialized they are going to demand more and more resources. We really need to find a way to better diversify our usage and make alts much more efficient.)

[Spanky22]

We're # 2! We're # 2! We're # 2!

[SKINS@THEGOALLINE]

We're # 2! We're # 2! We're # 2!

From the article,

With a population of a little over 300 million, the United States still uses much more energy, per capita, than China does.

We're still #1 (per capita)

[THEREALTOR1]

Congrats China! :applause:

Now if you'll excuse me, i'm gonna go turn on all the lights in the rooms that i'm not in. USA! USA!

[Sikbug]

From the article,

With a population of a little over 300 million, the United States still uses much more energy, per capita, than China does.

We're still #1 (per capita)

That's really sad actually.

Anyone see that new discovery channel show/special about all this stuff? It was showing China really taking a step up in trying to change this and profit off "green".