US headed for a massive decline in carbon emissions



For years now, many members of Congress have insisted that cutting carbon emissions was difficult, if not impossible. It is not. During the two years since 2007, carbon emissions have dropped 9 percent. While part of this drop is from the recession, part of it is also from efficiency gains and from replacing coal with natural gas, wind, solar, and geothermal energy.

The U.S. has ended a century of rising carbon emissions and has now entered a new energy era, one of declining emissions. Peak carbon is now history. What had appeared to be hopelessly difficult is happening at amazing speed.

For a country where oil and coal use have been growing for more than a century, the fall since 2007 is startling. In 2008, oil use dropped 5 percent, coal 1 percent, and carbon emissions by 3 percent. Estimates for 2009, based on U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) data for the first nine months, show oil use down by another 5 percent. Coal is set to fall by 10 percent. Carbon emissions from burning all fossil fuels dropped 9 percent over the two years.

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Comments

neuf.martial said…
Hey nice information dude...keep on writing!!!!
6:31 AM
Permapoesis said…
perhaps the expected 5% fall of emissions for 2009 is purely gfc led? if the US follows Australia's new growth up out of it, then i guess we have to be cautious with figures like these when the collective consciousness of the world's rich nations is still one of exploitation and abuse of natural systems and less privlegded humans and non-humans. such is the immense problem of growth economics.
5:25 PM
Steven M. Thiese said…
Lets keep the trend going! My colleagues -- Clair Jones of Utah Chapter Sierra Club, and Emily Fehrenbacher of Alaska -- as well as many dedicated others, have been working diligently to get the NoBassCoal Campaign off the ground here in Utah. We held our first event, The NoBassCoal “Campaign Kick-off and Press Conference” on November 12 to inform Utahans that Dick Bass, owner of the Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, is investing in what will be the largest strip mine ever in Alaska. The Chuitna Coal Project will destroy 30 square miles of salmon, bear and moose habitat in a pristine wilderness of Alaska , and dump millions of pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere, eventually destroying Utah ’s famous powder snow as well. But we are going to stop this mine! We had a great first event turnout of around 50 people, and several media reps, too. Speakers included Clair, Emily, and Forrest Shearer, a pro snowboarder with Protect Our Winters, who also happens to be sponsored by Snowbird. We all gave a rundown of how the mine will affect both Utah and Alaska, and displayed our campaign artwork, which we have been developing with a fantastic design company based in L.A.
Here is the link to a great story that our local Fox News affiliate aired about our event:
http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-environmentalists-want-snowbird-abandon-coal-,0,3254324.story

Thanks to everyone who supported this event, and there will be many more to follow! We will keep at this until Dick Bass backs out of dirty coal!
1:59 PM
Kirthi said…
I'm a member of the Sierra Club too!

Reducing carbon emmisons isn't hard, as long as everyone helps, Congress is wrong!
9% is a good number, I hope it rises!
My opinion is that the Middle East MUST stop drilling for oil and find a new product to produce or start start building on green energy.

You have an amazing blog that supports an important cause (Global warming) Keep it up!
12:47 PM
Johnedeals said…
Wind Power, until you experience the effects of an electro-magnetic plane around your home or community. I hope folks take the time to research this also, because it's a problem too.
7:09 PM
Eco Bags Al said…
Yes, a hopeful analysis! The info you provide is so great because if we all believe the carbon emissions crisis is hopeless we'll never be motivated to change it (the most important part of change is belief in our ability to do so). As for congress, you are really doing your part by just getting the information out there that WE CAN do this! Politicians will eventually catch up. In the end though, it is up to us as individuals to make easy lifestyle changes...I just published an article on my blog outlining 2 things we can do to change now! Check it: http://www.reusablebagblog.com/go-green/change-now-change-often-think-simple-and-go-green/

Thanks again for spreading the good news!
9:08 PM
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