From the New York Times: The United States consumes 9% less energy for each $1 of GDP than it did five years ago. Total energy use has fallen about 5% in the last five years.
From the Guardian: 29,000 people die prematurely from it every year in Britain from air pollution, twice as many as from road traffic, obesity and alcohol combined, and that air pollution is now second only to smoking as a cause of death.
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 