According to a study by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), it takes the U.S. less than half the energy to produce a dollar of economic output now that it did in 1970.
Also ccording ACEEE, every extra kilowatt-hour demanded by Internet and communications technologies produces a ten-fold energy savings in the U.S. economy.
So now when you are surfing American Idol fan sites, you can be secure in the knowledge that you are actually saving energy!
The report states, "Since 1970... U.S. energy consumption per dollar of economic output has declined from 18,000 British Thermal Units (Btus) to about 9,000 Btus in 2008. Through that energy efficiency we have met approximately 75 percent of our new demand for energy."
Energy intensity (Units of Energy used to produce a unit of Gross Domestic Product) declined 1.8 percent per year between 1970 and 1995. As new internet and communications technologies forged onto the scene between 1996 and 2006, energy intensity declined at a much more rapid rate of 2.4 percent.
