U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Still Increasing, Report Finds
Overall emissions of greenhouse gases increased by less than 1 percent over 2004 levels in 2005, a new report finds.
By CleanLink Editorial Staff
Overall emissions of greenhouse gases increased by less than 1 percent over 2004 levels in 2005, a new report finds.
The report, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2005, was released by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA prepares the annual report in collaboration with experts from multiple federal agencies.
The report tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions at the national level and presents historical emissions from 1990 to 2005. The report also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by "sinks," e.g., through the uptake of carbon by forests, vegetation, and soils.
The report finds that total emissions of the six main greenhouse gases in 2005 were equivalent to 7,260 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. The report indicates that overall emissions have grown by 16 percent from 1990 to 2005, while the U.S. economy has grown by 55 percent over the same period.
This report is the latest in an annual set of reports that the United States submits to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to address the challenge posed by climate change.
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