> Something coming from China to the Western US and then onto New York by rail would likely use less fuel than something coming from the Western US to New York

> Something coming from China to the Western US and then onto New York by rail would likely use less fuel than something coming from the Western US to New York by fright truck. Fine, but it still would use more fuel than something coming from, as an example, Philadelphia to new York! If the fuel is going to be scarcer and scarcer, than we will be forced to switch back to a proximity-based economy.