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Thursday, September 22, 2011

James Hrynyshyn: Carbon dioxide emissions hit new record


Carbon dioxide emissions hit new record


by James Hrynyshyn, "Class: M" blog, September 21, 2011
From Long-term trend in global CO2 emissions, published by PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, comes some good news:
Even including the USA whose emissions in 2008-2010 are 11% more than in 1990, the industrialised countries have on average reduced greenhouse gas emissions by about 7.5% in the period 2008-2010, compared with 1990. Together they are well on course to achieve the [Kyoto] protocol, target of a collective average decrease in greenhouse gas emissions of 5.2% between 2008 and 2012 compared to the 1990 level.
Bet you didn't know the Kyoto Protocol was a success, even without the U.S.
But then there's the bad news:
Continuing growth in the developing nations and economic recovery in the industrialised countries drove the record-breaking 5.8% increase in global CO2 emissions to the all-time high of 33.0 billion tonnes, even though these have not returned to pre-recession levels in most industrialised countries. CO2 emissions went up in most of the major economies, led by China, USA, India and EU-27 with increases of 10%, 4%, 9% and 3%, respectively.
Whole dreary report, including stats like "Since 2003, CO2 emissions in China have doubled, and in India they have increased by 60%," is here.

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