US carbon emission drop largest since 1982

Causes: gas prices, recession

Steve Hawley, May 26, 09.

US carbon dioxide emissions fell by 2.8 percent in 2008, the largest decrease since 1982, according to the Washington Post. The numbers come from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), and the article states that the decline was largely due to record gas prices and the recession.

Emissions from transportation fell 5.8 percent as Americans drove less, and emissions per dollar of economic output declined 3.8 percent. However, the EIA estimates that US carbon emissions in 2008 were 15.9 percent higher than in 1990.

Several weeks ago, climate expert Joseph Romm predicted that US carbon emissions peaked in 2007. He notes that official EIA predictions expect carbon emissions to slowly rebound, surpassing 2007 levels by 2024, but that the models do not factor in peak oil or greenhouse gas regulation. Once those are factored in, he says, US carbon emissions will never again reach 2007 levels.

Congress is preparing a climate change bill that would establish a cap-and-trade program, and the Obama administration recently announced new vehicle efficiency standards that would increase gas mileage and reduce vehicular greenhouse gas emissions by one-third by 2016.