greenhouse gas emissions posts, articles, and infographics

U.S. Coal Generation Drops 19 Percent In One Year

May 14, 2012 by Joseph Romm
with 392 views

Power generation from coal is falling quickly. According to new figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, coal made up 36 percent of U.S. electricity in the first quarter of 2012 — down from 44.6 percent in the first quarter of 2011.That stunning drop, which represented almost a 20 percent decline in coal generation over... [read more]

Sustainability: The Crux of the Matter with Alberta's Oil Sands

December 17, 2010 by Nathanael Baker
with 2,018 views

The oil industry, Alberta's provincial government, and the Canadian federal government are all breathing huge sighs of relief with the release of the Royal Society of Canada's report [pdf] on the Alberta oil sands. The cause for relief comes from the fact that a comprehensive study about the Alberta oil sands conducted by independent... [read more]

2010 to have Highest CO2 Emissions Since Tracking Started

November 26, 2010 by Jonathan Smith
with 2,681 views

In 2006 coal ranked second to petroleum, accounting for 27.4 percent of world primary energy production. “World coal production totaled 6.8 billion short tons, or 128 quadrillion Btu in 2006,” notes (XLS) the EIA (Energy Information Agency). World coal production increased (XLS) by 32.7 percent from the 1996 level of 5.1 billion short... [read more]

Road to Cancun: UN Says Bigger Emissions Commitments Required; China Admits its the World's Largest Emitter

November 25, 2010 by Nathanael Baker
with 1,252 views

As the latest United Nations (UN) climate summit appears on the horizon, the UN has released a report that says current emissions pledges will not prevent temperatures from rising this century. Meanwhile, China has acknowledged it is the world's largest emitter, but refuses to halt emissions at the expense of its economy. The... [read more]

Bending the curve

November 23, 2010 by Gernot Wagner
with 431 views

Cutting emissions is about creating opportunities for new, clean energy sources, not about crashing economies. The Great Recession saw a crash with the most severe consequences for employment and other measures of economic output since the Great Depression. Emissions responded in kind. Pierre Friedlingstein and a slew of co-authors... [read more]

Brazil’s emission numbers released

November 7, 2010 by Climatico Analysis
with 940 views

© Shankar Narayan Article By Guest Contributor: Adalberto Maluf Brazilian Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are estimated to have dropped by 33% between 2005 and 2009 after having increased by 60% between 1990 and 2005. Brazil’s second national communication to the UNFCCC, recently released by the Ministry of Science and Technology... [read more]

Americans Flunk Climate Test

October 16, 2010 by Dave Rochlin
with 1,008 views

According to a new Yale study, most Americans are aware of climate change, but have no idea why it is happening. The Yale team claims that only 8 percent of Americans have knowledge equivalent to an A or B grade, while 52% would get an F. The grading was done by a school where grade inflation is an issue, and Dubya carried a C+... [read more]

Canadian Oil Sands Could Lead U.S. Oil Imports This Year

June 23, 2010 by Mike Gregory
with 862 views

Canadian oil sands are a growing source of petroleum, and by the end of this year, they'll probably be the leading source of crude oil imports into the United States, according to a new study by IHS CERA. Canada is already the primary source of crude oil imports into the United States, and the country has been steadily increasing its... [read more]

Another natural gas issue

April 16, 2010 by Lou Grinzo
with 153 views

And speaking of using natural gas for transportation (as in part of my earlier post, The true face of shale gas), there’s the whole nasty issue of leaks. Natural Gas May Be Worse for the Planet than Coal: This week the U.S. Congress heard testimony supporting a bill that would push to replace diesel with natural gas in heavy vehicles... [read more]

New EPA Rules

April 2, 2010 by Rich Maltzman
with 279 views

This is no April Fools! On April 1, 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT), in response to an Obama Administration directive, established new, more stringent Federal Rules that “set the first-ever national greenhouse gas emissions standards and will significantly increase the... [read more]

Growth vs. Emissions

March 22, 2010 by Geoffrey Styles
with 165 views

An op-ed in today's Washington Post raised some thought-provoking questions about the difficulties faced by developing countries seeking to meet the energy needs of their citizens while minimizing their contribution to increasing global emissions of greenhouse gases. The problem is even trickier for South Africa, which is rich in coal--... [read more]

Two cheers for Wal-Mart’s CO2 pledge

February 25, 2010 by Marc Gunther
with 327 views

Until now, Walmart’s bold sustainability efforts were marred by a glaring omission. The $405-billion a year retailer has worked hard since 2005 to save energy, reduce waste and sell more sustainable products. But it resisted pressures to reduce or hold steady its own greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, its carbon emissions have grown,... [read more]

President Obama Sets Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Target for Federal Operations

January 31, 2010 by Matt Dernoga
with 174 views

Good to see his executive order is finally being implemented. Press release President Obama Sets Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Target for Federal Operations Target to Drive Energy Cost Reductions in Federal Operations, Creating Clean Energy Jobs WASHINGTON, DC – President Barack Obama today announced that the Federal... [read more]

EPA: Greenhouse gases threaten public health and the environment

December 7, 2009 by Joseph Romm
with 126 views

After a thorough examination of the scientific evidence and careful consideration of public comments, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that greenhouse gases (GHGs) threaten the public health and welfare of the American people. EPA also finds that GHG emissions from on-road vehicles contribute to that threat... [read more]

That's not quite right, is it? (part 1)

December 7, 2009 by John Whitehead
with 159 views

I agree with this from today's Krugman:...cutting greenhouse gas emissions is affordable as well as essential. Serious studies say that we can achieve sharp reductions in emissions with only a small impact on the economy’s growth. However:Action on climate, if it happens, will take the form of “cap and trade”: businesses won’t be told... [read more]