Washington, DC (December 3, 2008)- The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions rose 1.3 percent in 2007 after a 1.4 percent drop in 2006. The increase in emissions was attributed to a rise in fossil fuel use in 2007 due to a warmer summer and colder winter, which increased the demand for air conditioning and heating.
President-elect Barack Obama’s goals of cutting GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 is now even more of a “substantial task,” according to EIA spokesman Paul McArdle. In a “business as usual” scenario, the EIA projects that US emissions would rise 0.5 percent each year from 2005 to 2030.
Related Resources:
Energy Information Administration- Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2007
Reuters- US Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rose 1.4 Percent in 2007