In Seville, Spain, a Renault Kangoo hybrid automobile inches forward, slowly creeping through groups of teenagers huddled together along the crowded Calle Alfalfa. A sea of bodies parts for the vehicle, which can barely squeeze through the tiny opening at the far end of the street.
The hybrid van is not much to look at, with a boxy red frame that gives the impression of a hearse; yet, the Kangoo is so efficient that it gets 40 miles per gallon (mpg) - and in Europe, it is the top-selling vehicle in its class.
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, two yellow Hummers speed past a small boutique on US-1 in Miami, Florida. Nearby shoppers barely even notice as the giant vehicles roar past in a blur of loud music and darkly tinted glass. The fuel "efficiency" of a 2004 H2 Hummer: 9.6 mpg.
Three blocks south of Calle Alfalfa, a group of American students sit in a popular university dorm building called the Residencia Santa Ana. They shiver in their unheated dorm building, trying to adjust to a new way of life. For these students, most of the differences from home - the foreign language, the intricate designs of Moorish architecture, the late eating schedule, the mid-day siesta - were expected.
But the most frustrating part of living in a new country for these students will be learning to live in a country that conserves power. The number one cultural difference between the United States and all other countries in the world is our wanton use of energy.
As oil prices flirt with $70 per barrel and American relationships with Middle Eastern exporters sink to new lows, oil has become the world's most talked-about commodity. Everyone knows that reserves are dwindling, but in America, talk of oil conservation is lost in the wind. Instead, the American public is fed optimistic speech about the coming innovations in alternative fuel-innovations that are so slow in coming, that they are almost forgotten. The time may be coming for Americans to look toward the example of Europe, and start cutting back on oil consumption.
For an American student in Spain, the difference between the two countries is obvious from the moment he or she leaves the airport. The road to conservation seems to be traveled only by tiny Fiats, Pugeots, and Alpha Romeos. In Spain, oil-guzzling SUVs are replaced by vehicles that, to an American, look like they would be better fit for a toy box than a garage. These smaller cars, however, help to conserve millions of barrels of oil every day.
Spain, ranked 17th on the list of the world's top users of oil, consumes an estimated 1.55 million bbl/day, compared to 20 million bbl/day consumed by the U.S. To give these numbers some perspective, this means that despite having a population that is only seven times greater than Spain's (295 million compared with 41.2 million), the United States uses 15 times as much oil. On a per-capita basis, a typical American uses almost twice the oil per day that a typical Spaniard uses.
These numbers can also be attributed to a lack of oil heat in Spanish homes. In Spain, electric space heaters called calentadores are commonly used during the day and rarely at night. This not only prevents accidental fires but also keeps expensive electricity bills down. Electricity is also saved in numerous other ways, including drying clothes outside and limiting the use of lighting.
Outlets, equipped to handle only a fraction of the voltage of American outlets, are also used sparingly. A typical student in Residencia Santa Ana will use only two outlets at a time. Compare that to a typical American dorm, which has power strips plugged into power strips plugged into power strips.
In terms of electricity, Spain ranks as the world's 15th-greatest consumer, using up 231.2 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually. The US leads this category as well, posting a staggering 3.656 trillion kWh anually. With electricity use as well, America out-uses Spain at a rate of two to one.
Yet pleading with Americans to drive smaller cars and cut back on electricity is a tough sell. With a GDP per capita near $42,000 (compared to Spain's $25,000), Americans feel like we deserve our convenient lifestyle. But in a few decades, conservation may no longer be a choice. The CIA Factbook estimates proven oil reserves at about one billion barrels, an amount that will last the world approximately 34 years. But global oil reserve data has been so miscalculated throughout the years that nobody really knows how much is left.
Consider the case of Kuwait: Every year since 1992, the country has reported 94 billion barrels of reserves. Over this same period, Kuwait has exported oil at steady rate without one significant new find.
What we do know is that over 50 percent of the world's oil reserves are held in countries that have tenuous relationships with America - such as Iran, Venezuela and Iraq, ranked sixth, seventh, and 11th respectively on the list of top oil exporters. Iran is ignoring international warnings in an attempt to achieve nuclear capability, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez continues to preach about a socialist revolution, and the death toll of Iraqi civilians is steadily growing.
While the time to ask Americans to conserve oil may have passed with the era of 80 percent presidential approval ratings in 2001, there is no arguing with the facts. There is no doubt that America could not survive without foreign oil. It might be time to take a lesson from the Spanish lifestyle and start thinking about oil conservation.
The global supply of oil is dwindling and Americans are becoming more and more dependent on the Middle East, all the while continuing to burn more oil per day than the entire European Union. combined. At some point, something has to give.
