Climate Change:

Report Shows Marked Increase in U.S. CO2 Emissions (The Energy Collective)

As the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recently reported, atmospheric CO2 concentrations have risen to record levels. In line with this report is the latest Monthly Energy Review from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) finding that U.S. CO2 emissions have reversed their downward trend, showing a significant increase over the past 18 months.

According to the report, CO2 emissions for the first half of 2014 are 2.74 percent higher than for the same period in 2013 and 5.96 percent higher than for the first half of 2012. This reverses the downward trend of energy-related CO2 emissions, which account for 98 percent of the U.S. total, from 2010 through 2012.

The latest EIA report continues on past reports, showing an increase in renewable energy capacity in the United States. Energy production from renewable sources – including wind, solar, biofuels, biomass, hydro and geothermal – increased by 3.83 percent in the first half of 2014 compared to the same period in 2013, and 7.35 percent from 2012. In total, 11.68 percent of the country’s energy production  and 9.89 percent of domestic energy consumption comes from renewable sources. Despite the solid and accelerating growth of renewable energy in the U.S., it is not keeping pace with the current trend in CO2 emissions.

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