US CO2 emissions down

Yesterday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its annual draft report on emissions. It shows that they decreased 6 percent in 2009 compared to 2008.


The majority of greenhouse gas emissions came from electricity generation and transportation. Combined, those two sectors accounted for about 70 percent of all manmade emissions in the US. In the case of transportation, nearly 54 percent of that is from personal vehicle use. So if you think turning the lights off, hopping on your bike or living closer to work won't make a difference, think again.
The reduction puts 2009 on par with 1995 levels. It's still a far cry from the 8 percent below 1990 levels the European Union is aiming for by 2012. In fact, the US's 2009 emissions are still 7.4 percent above 1990 levels. 


There are two main reasons greenhouse gas emissions decreased. No, it wasn't people biking to work (yet). One is the economic downturn. '


On a better note, the other main cause for the decrease in emissions is a decrease in coal use and a concurrent increase in using natural gas to generate electricity. The changing fortunes of coal and natural gas were due to changing prices, with costs of coal rising and natural gas decreasing. If ever there was proof that one way to fight climate change is ending subsidies for coal, this is it.