I'd guess transportation plays a bigger role, but not sure.
US emissions are ~29% transportation and ~27% electricty generation [1]. The US uses ~13x as much oil [2].
Natural Gas isn't particularly dirty. Coal and petroleum only make up 24% of power generation in the US [3]. Fossil fuels make up ~9% of electricity production in France [4].
Just a small nit but the OP was referencing CO2. Natural gas is cleaner than other fossil fuels. “Clean” != low carbon (although it’s lower than other fossil fuels)
I would expect our spread out nature to contribute to that a lot. We drive a lot (and often environmentally unfriendly vehicles). Our food chain also involves shipping food substantial distances (not sure how true that is of Europe).
I wonder how much efficiency and resiliency are competing interests in the supply chain. From one perspective, consolidation creates a more efficient system due to economies of scale. On the other hand, distributed systems tend to be more reliable, but less efficient
US emissions are ~29% transportation and ~27% electricty generation [1]. The US uses ~13x as much oil [2].
Natural Gas isn't particularly dirty. Coal and petroleum only make up 24% of power generation in the US [3]. Fossil fuels make up ~9% of electricity production in France [4].
[1] https://images.app.goo.gl/9YFsuN9vjkiiZnek9
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_oil_consu...
[3] https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/electricity-....
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_France#:...).