U.S. energy consumption decreased from 2005 to 2006 5

Comments View as Flat

1. 

   DMC Posted 5:24 am
   23 Aug 2007

   Renewables don't lower energy useEnergy use doesn't decline because more renewables are used. They are simply another source of energy.
   Energy use declines when we become more efficient, or when the economy slows and we don't have as many energy-using tasks to accomplish, or for a number of other reasons

   Permalink

2. 

   GreenEngineer Posted 5:49 am
   23 Aug 2007

   "renewables"Note that the article implies that the "renewable energy" consumption figure includes corn ethanol, but it doesn't break out those figures from the aggregate.  That would be in keeping with the ongoing delusion that ethanol is a renewable fuel...

   Permalink

3. 

   sindark Posted 6:12 am
   23 Aug 2007

   CalculusTechnically, an inflection point is a zero in the second derivative of a function, not the first derivative.
   That is to say, it is where something either (a) goes from increasing at an increasing rate to increasing at a decreasing rate (b) goes from increasing at a decreasing rate to increasing at an increasing rate (c) goes from decreasing at an increasing rate to decreasing at a decreasing rate or (d) goes from decreasing at a decreasing rate to decreasing at an increasing rate.
   An inflection point is not where the rate of change become zero, it is where the concavity of the function changes. This is easiest to explain graphically. If you imagine an s-curve like the global population projection, the inflection point is at the middle of the 'S,' not where it levels off at the top.
   
   a sibilant intake of breath

   Permalink

4. 

   Delay And Deny Posted 8:56 am
   23 Aug 2007

   Peak Demand
   
   Hey, isn't that like 3 years ahead of "Peak Oil" (2010)?
   If we keep at it, we can stay ahead the curve until the eggheads figure out how to build static fusion devices.
   
   
   
   John Bailo
   
   
   Sutext:

   Permalink

5. 

   sort of like an AUK Posted 12:06 pm
   23 Aug 2007

   How's the weather?According to the information the Energy Information Agency put out on this earlier in the year, favorable weather in 2006 - a warm winter and a cooler summer than 2005 - and fuel switching to natural gas and renewables explains the decline.

   Permalink