August, 11 2009, 05:41pm EDT
As Gas Prices Rise, Consumers Face Increased Threat of Oil Dependency
New analysis shows state-by-state ranking of oil vulnerability
WASHINGTON
Rising gas prices, combined with the economic downturn are making
people more vulnerable to changes in oil prices, according to new
analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The report also
shows that many states are taking significant steps to reduce oil
dependence through smart clean-transportation policies.
Especially
with today's economic challenges, Americans face a growing threat from
our nation's dangerous addiction to oil," said Deron Lovaas, NRDC's
transportation policy director. "This report shows how important it is
for states to promote clean energy policies that will reduce our
dependence on oil, while also reducing global warming pollution.
The
report, "Fighting Oil Addiction: Ranking States' Oil Vulnerability and
Solutions for Change," provides a detailed look at how oil prices
impact consumers and ways in which smart policies can help break
states' addiction to oil.
According to the report, the top 10 states most vulnerable to oil price increases are:
#1 Mississippi; #2 Montana; #3 South Carolina; #4 Oklahoma; #5
Louisiana; #6 Kentucky, #7 Texas; #8 New Mexico; #9 Georgia; and #10
Arkansas.
The top 10 states that are doing the most to promote clean energy technologies and reduce their dependence on oil are: #1California;
#2 Massachusetts; #3 Washington; #4 New Mexico; #5 Connecticut; #6 New
York; #7 New Jersey; #8 Pennsylvania; #9 Oregon; and #10 Florida.
The
report focuses on two important factors that relate to the nation's
addiction to oil. First, it calculates oil vulnerability- how heavily
each state's drivers are affected by increases in oil prices. Second,
it ranks states on their adoption of solutions to reduce their oil
dependence- measures they are taking to lessen their vulnerability and
to bolster America's security.
The report also shows
that by promoting clean vehicle and fuel technologies as well as
transportation alternatives states can reduce oil dependence. These
measures can, in turn, create clean energy jobs, reduce vulnerability
to fuel price hikes, and lessen air pollution and greenhouse gas
emissions.
Lovaas added, "The Federal government can
step in to help states break their addiction to oil by implementing
comprehensive clean energy and climate policies and by reforming our
national transportation system through an overhauled,
performance-driven transportation policy.
The full report, with state-by-state rankings, can be accessed at: https://www.nrdc.org/energy/states/
NRDC works to safeguard the earth--its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. We combine the power of more than three million members and online activists with the expertise of some 700 scientists, lawyers, and policy advocates across the globe to ensure the rights of all people to the air, the water, and the wild.
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