Oil consumption

[fordnut]

I hear all the time about trucks and SUV`s using all of our oil and causing pries to rise.I am wondering why no one ever mentions the fuel used by planes and ships,I bet it is more than we burn in our 4 wheel vehicles.I am also wondering how much fuel would be saved if we went back to making everything we use(it is possible)and parked those huge ships and at least with the planes don`t let them fly unless they are full of passengers and cargo.Another thing is how much fuel is being wasted in all of B*** wars.I bet if we could get an honest answer we would see that we are not totaly to blame.I also thought that I should mention that the tractor trailer rigs that move most of our freight are very fuel efficient getting around 8 to 9 miles per gallon compared to Toyota Tundra 4x4 getting 14 to 15 MPG and can`t haul much of anything.

[eallen]

1. That's incorrect.

In fuel efficiency of hauling cargo -- tons of cargo transported through miles carried per unit of fuel spent -- nothing beats a large freighter. They're a bit slower than trucks. And they're limited to carrying cargo between ports. But they are much more efficient.

BTW, what makes SUVs, and any passenger car, inefficient is that it typically is carrying only one or two individuals. I suspect airlines are more efficient in terms of passenger-mile per gallon of fuel burned.

[tandot]

2. I am riding the train every day from and to work (1 hour one-way)

and the train I am riding has a high occupancy rate. Although the train may use more energy, it is way less than if each of the passengers would use his/her own car to get to work.

If I am not using the train on weekends, I drive my Toyota Corolla with 36 mpg. Only about twice a month, we'll use our Isuzu Trooper (22 mpg) if we have to haul stuff that doesn't fit into my Corolla.

Also, you would need dozens of tractor trailer rigs to carry what each of the freight trains haul each day.

[lectrobyte]

3. I haven't flown on a commercial flight that had more than a handful of

empty seats, if any, in like forever. If the flight is not full enough, they just tend to cancel it. Transportation is only part of the picture, though, too.

[Strelnikov_]

4. 65% Of US Petroleum Consumption Goes To Transportation (2003)

Transportation Energy Data Book (Edition 25)

http://cta.ornl.gov/data/index.shtml

Table 2.5 of the above document provides the following breakdown:

Transportation Energy Use by Mode - 2003

All in M bbl/dy crude oil equivalent.

Light Vehicles - 8.538

Buses - 0.091

Medium/Heavy Trucks - 2.401

Air - 1.071

Water - 0.550

Pipeline - 0.009

Rail - 0.258


Transportation petroleum consumption for 2003 was 12.918 M bbl/dy, or about 65% of 2003 petroleum consumption of 20.03 M bbl/dy (Table 1.13).

Therefore, light vehicles make up 66% of transportation consumption, or 43% of total consumption.


Following is a diagram of US 2005 petroleum flow.

For 2005, transportation consumption was 67% of the total per the numbers on the diagram.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/pdf/pages/sec5_3.pdf