August 11th, 2009
The next oil crisis: is your state immune or addicted?
The NRDC has come out with a provocative ranking of American states. They say it’s based on how independent or addicted the state’s residents are to petroleum-dependent transportation. And which states are most or least vulnerable to the next oil price shock.
The NRDC’s ten most oil-vulnerable states: #1 Mississippi; #2 Montana; #3 South Carolina; #4 Oklahoma; #5 Louisiana; #6 Kentucky, #7 Texas; #8 New Mexico; #9 Georgia; and #10 Arkansas. I can’t overlook the cruel fact that Mississippi also leads the nation in obesity. Guess they live in their cars with the air conditioning running while they wait for that order of three burgers with fries and a chocolate shake. Roll on, mighty Mississippi!
According to the NRDC these ten states are least vulnerable to oil price increases: #1 California; #2 Massachusetts; #3 Washington; #4 New Mexico; #5 Connecticut; #6 New York; #7 New Jersey; #8 Pennsylvania; #9 Oregon; and #10 Florida. Can’t help but notice that all but one of those states is on one coast or the other. Just another clear example of the cultural divides that divide America.
The political issues these rankings bring to mind? Sprawl and zoning, or lack thereof. Government regulation of housing and development. Lack of urban concentration of population. Mass transit or not. Trains. Buses. Bicycles. Sidewalks, which have become a sign of downscale housing in some sprawled parts of America. Nobody who’s anybody walks, after all.
Should you want to see the whole NRDC report, here’s the link. Wanna bet they don’t get many donations from Mississippi residents?
A newsman since 1969, Harry Fuller has worked for CBS, ABC, CNBC Europe, CNET and was founding news director at TechTV. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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