Transportation Energy Survey Data Book 1.1
The transportation sector is the major consumer of oil in the United States. In 2000, the transportation sector's share of U.S. oil consumption was 68 percent (U.S. DOE/EIA, 2001a, Table 2.5, p. 33, Table 1.4, p.7). As a result, the transportation sector is one of the major producers of greenhouse gases. In 2000, the transportation sector accounted for one-third (33 percent) of carbon emissions (U.S. DOE/EIA, 2000b, Table 5, p.28). In comparison, the industrial sector accounted for 32 percent and residential and commercial sector for 35 percent of carbon emissions in 2000. Carbon emissions, together with other gases, constitute greenhouse gases that are believed to cause global warming. Because that the transportation sector is a major oil consumer and producer of greenhouse gases, the work of the Analytic Team of the Office of Transportation Technologies (OTT) focuses on two main objectives: (1) reduction of U.S. oil dependence and (2) reduction of carbon emissions from vehicles. There are two major factors that contribute to the problem of U.S. oil dependence. First, compared to the rest of the world, the United States does not have a large oil reserve. The United States accounts for only 9 percent of oil production (U.S. DOE/EIA, 2001c, Table 4.1C). In comparison, the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) produces 42 percent of oil, and the Persian Gulf accounts for 28 percent. (U.S. DOE/EIA, 2001c, Table 1.1A). More than half (54 percent) of oil consumed in the United States is imported (U.S. DOE/EIA, 2001a, Table 1.8, p. 15). Second, it is estimated that the world is approaching the point at which half of the total resources of conventional oil believed to exist on earth will have been used up (Birky et. al., 2001, p. 2). Given that the United States is highly dependent on imported oil and that half of the world's conventional oil reserves will have been used up in the near future, the OTT's goal is to ensure an adequate supply of fuel for vehicles. There are three ways to achieve this goal: efficiency, substitution, or less travel. A reduction in oil usage will result in a reduction of carbon emissions. Successful transition to alternative types of fuel and advanced technology vehicles may depend on awareness of U.S. dependence on imported oil and the U.S. energy situation. Successful transition may also depend on knowledge of alternative types of fuels and advanced technologies. The ''Transportation Energy Survey Data Book 1.1'' examines the public's knowledge, beliefs and expectations of the energy situation in the United States and transportation energy-related issues. The data presented in the report have been drawn from multiple sources: surveys conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation International (ORCI) for National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) that are commissioned and funded by OTT, Gallup polls, ABC News/Washington Post polls, NBC News/Wall Street Journal polls, polls conducted by the Ipsos-Reid Corporation, as well articles from The Washington Post (2001) and other sources. All surveys are telephone interviews conducted with randomly selected national samples of adults 18 years of age and older. Almost all surveys were conducted before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, with the only exceptions being the November 2001 ORCI survey and the November 2001 survey conducted by the Ipsos-Reid Corporation.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 814394
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/SUB/02-4000008627/01; TRN: US200317%%203
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 18 Jun 2002
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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