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<P><STRONG>American oil use</STRONG>
<P>Gwynne Dyer was right to take President Bush to task over dealing with the
supply side of oil rather than demand ("Bush edict on US oil addiction runs on
emptily", Opinion, February 7).
<P>But what constitutes demand? Percapita use of oil certainly, but also the
number of people using it.
<P>The graph for car ownership parallels that of population growth in the US
with about one car per adult American.
<P>Currently the US population is increasing by three million a year. Bush, of
course, should adopt all measures that reduce American dependence on oil, such
as making cars more fuel-efficient, taxing gas-guzzling SUVs and so on.
<P>But unless he comes to grips with a population growth rate that is of Third
World proportions, he will have no hope of cutting overall demand for oil,
imported or otherwise.
<P><EM>Jenny Goldie, National President, Sustainable Population Australia</EM>
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