US carbon dioxide emissions up 3.1 pct in 2000
Date: 12-Nov-01
Country: USA
Carbon dioxide emissions, which accounts for more than 80 percent to total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, reached 1,583 million metric tons of carbon equivalent, according to the Energy Department's analytical arm.
The report comes as officials from more than 160 countries met in Morocco to try to finalize a global warming agreement to cut greenhouse gases that are blamed for trapping heat in the atmosphere.
The Bush administration has said the United States, the world's biggest producer of greenhouse gases, will not take part in the accord, because it would hurt U.S. companies and the American economy.
The 3.1 percent growth last year in U.S. carbon dioxide emissions was the second highest annual increase during the 1990-2000 period, and was well above the average annual 1.6 percent growth rate for the period, said the department's Energy Information Administration. Only the 3.4 percent increase in emissions during 1996 was higher.
"The high growth in carbon dioxide emissions can be attributed to a return to more normal weather, decreased hydroelectric power generation that was replaced by fossil-fuel power generation, and strong economic growth," EIA said.
Carbon dioxide emissions from electric power plants were up 4.7 percent last year to 642 million metric tons, almost double the 1990-2000 average annual increase of 2.4 percent.
"Contributing to the relatively large increase in 2000 was a 4.2 percent increase in (fuel oil) use for electricity generation, as well as an 11 percent reduction in electricity generation from renewable fuels, including a 14 percent drop in hydroelectric generation," EIA said.
Total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions increased by 2.5 percent last year to 1,906 million metric tons, well above the 1.3 annual growth rate of the last decade, the agency said.
