Economic Slump and Energy Efficiency Drive U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Drop

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=economic-slump-energy-efficiency-drop-us-greenhouse-gas

Economic Slump and Energy Efficiency Drive U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Drop

The period between 2008 and 2009 saw the biggest decrease in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in decades, thanks to the Great Recession and better technology

By Tiffany Stecker and ClimateWire | February 17, 2011

The period between 2008 and 2009 saw the largest decrease in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 20 years, according to U.S. EPA's Greenhouse Gas Inventory http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads11/US-GHG-Inventory-2011-Complete_Report.pdf">Report.

While the 6 percent decrease correlates with the constriction of the global economy that followed the financial crisis in 2008, it was not the only reason for the drop, the report says. Advances in technology, efficiency and reuse of scrap industrial material also decreased energy use in key sectors. In addition, an increase in coal prices and a decrease in natural gas prices led to a switch from one source to the other.

However, over the past 20 years, greenhouse gas emissions in the United States have increased steadily by about 0.4 percent annually.

"In a year with increased consumption of goods and services, low fuel prices, severe summer and winter weather conditions, nuclear plant closures, and lower precipitation feeding hydroelectric dams, there would likely be proportionally greater fossil fuel consumption than a year with poor economic performance, high fuel prices, mild temperatures and increased output from nuclear and hydroelectric plants," states the report.

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[GliderGuider]

1. A list of the CO2 changes in a large number countries

Change in Carbon Dioxide Emissions 2008 to 2009

China        	9.1%
Kuwait	        8.3%
Bangladesh      7.7%
Peru            7.0%
India	        7.0%
Algeria 	6.0%
Colombia	5.8%
Saudi Arabia	5.4%
Ecuador	        5.4%
Qatar	        4.9%
Asia Pacific	4.7%
Iran	        4.6%
Middle East	4.0%
Egypt	        3.8%
Singapore	3.7%
Turkmenistan	3.5%
Iceland	        3.0%
Indonesia	2.5%
South Korea	1.8%
Hong Kong	1.4%
Switzerland	1.2%
Pakistan	1.0%
Thailand	0.7%
Uzbekistan	0.2%
Australia	-0.1%
Mexico	        -0.6%
Venezuela	-0.7%
Philippines	-0.9%
Total World	-1.1%
Total Africa	-1.2%
Portugal	-1.8%
Austria 	-1.9%
UAE     	-2.0%
Poland  	-2.2%
Kazakhstan	-2.5%
Netherlands	-2.6%
Belgium & Lux	-2.6%
Finland 	-2.9%
South Africa	-3.0%
Chile   	-3.3%
Taiwan  	-3.3%
Norway   	-3.4%
Argentina	-3.9%
Brazil  	-4.2%
France  	-4.5%
Slovakia	-4.7%
Belarus 	-5.2%
New Zealand	-5.6%
Denmark 	-5.6%
Greece  	-5.8%
Canada  	-5.8%
Malaysia	-6.0%
Sweden  	-6.0%
OECD    	-6.2%
EU      	-6.4%
US      	-6.5%
Germany 	-6.6%
Czech Republic	-6.8%
Ireland 	-8.2%
United Kingdom	-8.2%
Russia  	-8.4%
Italy   	-8.7%
Hungary 	-9.1%
Lithuania	-9.7%
Turkey  	-9.8%
Spain   	-10.6%
Romania 	-11.6%
Japan   	-11.8%
Bulgaria	-14.2%
Ukraine 	-15.5%
Azerbaijan	-17.5%

(Data from BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2010)

Yay Azerbaijan, Boo China.