# Is it true that the average American uses more energy than a blue whale? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 20, 2010, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810 "2010-12-20T06:42:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/21 "2010-12-20T17:16:38Z")
> [@spenczar](#): > > I want to point Whales would like to point as well, but they don’t have fingers. This is also why so very few whales are active on the internet and ties in with the fact that you very rarely observes whales hitch-hiking. ---
**Author:** ![spenczar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@spenczar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spenczar)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/22 "2010-12-20T17:19:56Z")
> [@spenczar](#): > > I want to point Whoops, I swear I had a point in there somewhere last night but I seem to have misplaced it, and can’t remember at all what I was going to say. stupid submit reply button getting in the way of my mouse… ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/23 "2010-12-20T17:23:34Z")
Well, I know Dogbert said “Shave the Whales” but I don’t think they use electric razors or hot water, so they use very little electricity.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/24 "2010-12-20T18:49:09Z")
What a blowhole. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/25 "2010-12-20T19:23:06Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > If he managed to do anything, it was a fluke. Don’t upset him, you’ll make him blubber. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/26 "2010-12-20T19:35:16Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Don’t upset him, you’ll make him blubber. You will not be making any fat jokes in this thread. At least, narwhal I have anything to say about it. ---
**Author:** ![petew83](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@petew83](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/petew83)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/27 "2010-12-20T19:41:43Z")
I interpreted the comparison in the following way: Add up the calories a blue whale consumes per day on average: Answer ≈ 7 million calories per day ≈ 24,000 kilojoules per day Add up the wattage an American uses up in a day on average: Answer ≈ 1280 watts continuously ≈ 30 kilowatt Hours per day ≈ 100,000 kilojoules per day So an American uses ≈ 4 times as much energy per day as a blue whale. Correct? As a side note, it turns out the blue whales are extremely efficient eaters. [http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archives/2010/12/the\_remarkable\_efficiency\_of\_a\_blue\_whale.html](http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archives/2010/12/the_remarkable_efficiency_of_a_blue_whale.html) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/28 "2010-12-20T20:37:17Z")
> [@petew83](#): > > I interpreted the comparison in the following way: > > Add up the calories a blue whale consumes per day on average: > Answer ≈ 7 million calories per day > ≈ 24,000 kilojoules per day > > Add up the wattage an American uses up in a day on average: > Answer ≈ 1280 watts continuously > ≈ 30 kilowatt Hours per day > ≈ 100,000 kilojoules per day > > So an American uses ≈ 4 times as much energy per day as a blue whale. Correct? > > As a side note, it turns out the blue whales are extremely efficient eaters. > [http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archives/2010/12/the\_remarkable\_efficiency\_of\_a\_blue\_whale.html](http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archives/2010/12/the_remarkable_efficiency_of_a_blue_whale.html) What is your source for the 7million calories per day? Wikipedia (far from the absolute authority) said 1.5 million kilocalories per day. ---
**Author:** ![petew83](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@petew83](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/petew83)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/29 "2010-12-21T02:21:28Z")
…need to edit ---
**Author:** ![petew83](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@petew83](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/petew83)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/30 "2010-12-21T02:28:16Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > What is your source for the 7million calories per day? Wikipedia (far from the absolute authority) said 1.5 million kilocalories per day. Thanks for the fact-check. Let me redo the math… corrected version : Add up the calories a blue whale consumes per day on average: Answer ≈ 1.5 million calories per day ≈ 6,250 kilojoules per day Add up the wattage an American uses up in a day on average: Answer ≈ 1280 watts continuously ≈ 30 kilowatt Hours per day ≈ 100,000 kilojoules per day So by this conversion an American uses ≈ 16 times as much energy per day as a blue whale. (unless I made any other mistakes) ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/31 "2010-12-21T03:27:35Z")
What does this have to do with anything? Just because blue whales are large doesn’t necessarily mean they should consume more “energy.” Blue whales don’t build roads, attend churches, or take philosophy classes, either. Should I be shocked? P.S. Whales are planktonvores vs Americans who are mcdonaldvores. P.P.S. Their "fact"oid would be a lot more relevant if they compared the energy usage of one first world nation’s inhabitants to another’s. You can’t even compare the humans in third world countries to us because they are SO FUCKING POOR and output SO FUCKING LITTLE worth to humanity as a whole. I mean, the energy consumed by an American construction worker may well outstrip both the energy consumed by a blue whale and a rural African male. This is not necessarily worrisome. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/32 "2010-12-21T04:33:58Z")
Pfft. What’ve blue whales done for me lately? ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/33 "2010-12-21T04:45:56Z")
What is so salient about this? Let’s say it is true. What have whales done for us lately? ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/34 "2010-12-21T04:46:57Z")
> [@petew83](#): > > So by this conversion an American uses ≈ 16 times as much energy per day as a blue whale. (unless I made any other mistakes) Umm, 1.5 million kilocalories is approximately 6.27 **million** kilojoules, so you’re off by a factor of a thousand. Although I have doubts about both 1.5 million kilo-calories for whales and 1280 watts continuously for Americans. ---
**Author:** ![petew83](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@petew83](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/petew83)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/35 "2010-12-21T05:59:13Z")
> [@groman](#): > > Umm, 1.5 million kilocalories is approximately 6.27 **million** kilojoules, so you’re off by a factor of a thousand. Although I have doubts about both 1.5 million kilo-calories for whales and 1280 watts continuously for Americans. “When used in scientific contexts, the term calorie refers to the gram calorie. In nutritional contexts, however, a larger unit is more useful. In such contexts the term calorie can be taken to refer to the kilogram calorie.” > **[Calorie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie)** > > The calorie is a unit of energy that originated from the caloric theory of heat. The large calorie, food calorie, dietary calorie, or kilogram calorie is defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one liter of water by one degree Celsius (or one kelvin). The small calorie or gram calorie is defined as the amount of heat needed to cause the same increase in one milliliter of water. Thus, 1 large calorie is equal to 1,000 small calories. > In nutrition and food science, the te... I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to make an adjustment for nutritional calories by a factor of 1,000. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/36 "2010-12-21T06:59:06Z")
Mods, please close this thread. It serves no porpoise. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/37 "2010-12-21T08:59:29Z")
> [@petew83](#): > > I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to make an adjustment for nutritional calories by a factor of 1,000. A blue whale cannot possibly subsist on 1.5 million calories a day (1500 kcal) – that’s less than a lot of humans require. Therefore the only reasonable assumption is that the number is 1.5 million kcal a day, which is 6.276 million kilojoules. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/38 "2010-12-21T13:12:36Z")
oops ---
**Author:** ![petew83](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@petew83](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/petew83)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/39 "2010-12-21T16:47:18Z")
> [@groman](#): > > A blue whale cannot possibly subsist on 1.5 million calories a day (1500 kcal) – that’s less than a lot of humans require. Therefore the only reasonable assumption is that the number is 1.5 million kcal a day, which is 6.276 million kilojoules. second corrected version : Add up the calories a blue whale consumes per day on average: Answer ≈ 1.5 million kilocalories per day ≈ 6,250 million kilojoules per day Add up the wattage an American uses up in a day on average: Answer ≈ 1280 watts continuously ≈ 30 kilowatt Hours per day ≈ 100,000 kilojoules per day So by this conversion an American uses ≈ 1/60th as much energy per day as a blue whale, assuming all my figures are correct (which I doubt at this point). ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810/40 "2010-12-21T17:53:00Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Mods, please close this thread. It serves no porpoise. I’m glad you’re in the minority, that kind of thinking leads to a situation where’d we’d have no Straight Dope at all! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-average-american-uses-more-energy-than-a-blue-whale/564810.md?page=3)