2010 Saw Largest CO2 Rise for 22 Years

environmentalleader.com (Aug 19 2011) Emissions

1. Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rebounded in 2010 but still remained six percent below 2005 levels, according to an analysis by the Energy Information Administration. Energy-related CO2 underwent a historic decline in 2009. That year the economy as measured by the real gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 3.5 percent compared to the previous year, but emissions fell by over 7 percent. Last year, CO2 emissions saw their largest absolute and percentage increase (213 million metric tons or 3.9 percent) since 1988. Only two years – 1996 and 2000 – have shown similar growth in the time period since 1990. The EIA said that 2010 was an atypical year for emissions growth, just as 2009 showed an unusual decline. Total energy consumption rose by 3.8 percent in 2010 across all end-use sectors. Because GDP increased by only 3.0 percent, the energy intensity of the economy increased by 0.7 ... (Read Full Article)

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