WBT, we've spent enough time debating the hypocracy that oil companies need to keep their subsidies because they don't really make much profit, but somehow we can't afford subsidies to help jump start renewable energy. We all know you'll never stop, but I'll play along a little further when I have a few minutes, like right now on my lunch break.

First off, net profit is a standard metric. It's used as the primary measure of the size and profitability of any large company. From there you can look deeper into other details if you want, but net profit is first and foremost. If you choose to look exclusively at profit percentage, then the pawn shop down the street outperforms every Fortune 500 company, but only cleared maybe $100K profit. A street corner drug dealer would be astronomically profitable by that definition.

As for energy subsidies, the following data is from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts who did an elaborate study on energy subsidies back in 2006.

You claim that Apple and everybody else gets these $3.5 billion subsidies. WRONG. The follow list shows SPECIFIC subsidies only for the oil and gas industry. Forgive the format. Here's the link to the data.

Estimated Federal Oil and Gas Subsidies in 2006
Federal Oil and Gas Tax Subsidies
   Subsidy                                              Type       Amount
Expensing of Exploration and Development Costs Credit 	taxes  $1,100,000,000
Percentage Depletion Allowance                          taxes  $1,000,000,000
Alternative Fuel Production Credit                      taxes    $890,000,000
Exemption from Passive Loss Limitation for Working
     Interests in Oil and Gas Properties                taxes     $30,000,000
Natural Gas Distribution Pipelines Treated
     as 15-Year Property                                taxes     $20,000,000
Temporary 50 percent Expensing for Equipment
     Used in the Refining of Liquid Fuels               taxes     $10,000,000
Amortize all geological and geophysical expenditures
     over two years                                     taxes     $10,000,000
Subtotal                                                       $3,060,000,000

Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Subsidies
U.S. Department of Interior, Oil and Gas Royalty     access to
  Losses on 1998 and 1999 Gulf Oil and Gas Leases  nat. resrces  $142,857,143

Federal Oil and Gas Research and Development
U.S. Department of Energy, Oil and Gas Research       direct
   and Development                                    spending    $64,350,000
U.S. Department of Interior, Minerals Management      direct 
   Service Oil Spill Research                         spending     $6,900,000
Subtotal                                                          $71,250,000

Federal Oil and Gas Petroleum Reserve Subsidies
U.S. Department of Energy, Strategic Petroleum         direct 
   Reserve                                            spending   $207,340,000
U.S. Department of Energy, Naval Petroleum and Oil     direct 
   Shale Reserves                                     spending    $21,285,000
Subtotal                                                         $228,625,000
                                              ---------------------------------
Total                                                          $3,502,732,143