Sacramento—Global warming pollution increased
18 percent nationwide between 1990 and 2004, according to The Carbon Boom, a new analysis of state fossil fuel consumption
data released today by Environment California.
This is the first time that 2004 state-by-state data on carbon dioxide
emissions have been released.
“Given
the risks from global warming, it’s incredibly irresponsible for America’s global
warming pollution to increase. It’s like
the doctor telling you that you need to go on a serious diet, but instead you
go straight for the double-bacon cheeseburger,” said Environment California’s Global
Warming Advocate Jason Barbose.
Environment
California’s
report comes less than a week after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, a U.N. body charged with assessing the scientific record on global
warming, released its consensus report on the current and projected impacts of
global warming. The report warned of increasing droughts, floods, heat
waves, water stress, forest fires, and coastal flooding in the United States but concluded that “many impacts can be avoided,
reduced, or delayed” by quickly and significantly reducing global warming
pollution.
“Global
warming pollution is skyrocketing nationwide just as scientists are sounding
alarms that we must rapidly reduce pollution to protect future
generations. This report is a wake-up
call to Congress to follow California’s
lead and cap pollution levels now before it is too late,” said Barbose.
Using
data compiled by the U.S. Department of Energy, Environment California’s new
report examines trends in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel consumption
between 1990 and 2004, the most recent year for which state-by-state data are
available.
Major
findings of the report include:
- Nationwide, emissions of
carbon dioxide from fossil fuel consumption increased by 18 percent
between 1990 and 2004. Coal-fired
power plants and the transportation sector—especially cars and SUVs—drove
this emissions increase.
- In California, carbon dioxide
emissions from burning gasoline (primarily in cars and SUVs) increased by 15
percent between 1990 and 2004, rising from 111 million metric tons to 128 million
metric tons. Between 1990 and 2004,
vehicle miles traveled in California
increased by 27 percent, while cars and SUVs became less efficient. California
ranked 1st nationwide for the most carbon dioxide emissions
from motor gasoline consumption in 2004, and 3rd nationwide for
the largest absolute increase in carbon dioxide emissions from motor
gasoline consumption over the 15 year period.
“Environment California’s latest report on the increase
in carbon emissions helps to build a solid policy foundation to combat global
warming. It’s now time for policymakers in Washington,
D.C. to pass nationwide standards for
greenhouse gas emissions,” Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles) said. “In California, we saw the threat, so we came
together to pass gold-standard legislation, AB 32, The California Global Warming Solutions Act.”
The United States
could substantially reduce its global warming pollution by using existing
technologies to make power plants, businesses, homes, and cars more efficient
and increase the use of clean, renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar
power.
The Safe
Climate Act (H.R. 1590), introduced by Representative Henry Waxman (CA) in the
House, and the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (S. 309), introduced by
Senators Barbara Boxer (CA) and Bernie Sanders (VT) in the Senate, would limit
global warming pollution to levels that current science says are needed to
prevent the worst effects of global warming.
The bills would freeze U.S.
global warming emissions in 2010 and reduce emissions by about 15 percent by
2020 and by 80 percent by 2050.
“Environment
California calls on all California congresspersons to co-sponsor the
only bill that matches AB 32—the Safe Climate Act,” concluded Barbose. “We
commend Governor Schwarzenegger and Speaker Núñez for taking decisive action last year to cut global warming
pollution in California,
and Senator Boxer and Representative Waxman for sponsoring AB 32-like
legislation in Congress this year.”
