US EPA 2008 National U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory

On April 15, 2010, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the 15^th annual US greenhouse gas inventory report, which shows a drop in overall emissions of 2.9 percent from 2007 to 2008. The downward trend is attributed to a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions associated with fuel and electricity consumption.

 

The report is available at the following website: www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usinventoryreport.html

 

Due to the size of the report, segments of the report are available for download as pdf files.

 

The inventory tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions at the national level and presents historical emissions from 1990 to 2008. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by “sinks,” which occurs through the uptake of carbon by forests, vegetation and soils. 

 

Total emissions of the six main greenhouse gases in 2008 were equivalent to 6,957 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. The gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. Though overall emissions dropped in 2008, emissions are still 13.5 percent higher than they were in 1990.

 

The following factors were primary contributors to this decrease:

1.   A decrease in electricity demand and a resulting decrease in energy consumption.

2.   Higher energy prices leading to a decrease in energy consumption, and

3.   Cooler summer conditions in 2008 compared to 2007 reducing energy demand and offsetting the increased energy demand for heating in the colder winter.

4.   Higher gasoline prices and economic downturn led to a significant decline in petroleum consumption by the transportation sector in 2008.

 

The report follows the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change format. Emissions are reported from the following categories: Energy; Industrial Processes; Solvent and Other Product Use; Agriculture; Land Use; Land-Use Change; and Forestry, Waste and Other. Separate reports for each segment is available at the above website.

 

Each year, emission sink estimates are recalculated and revised for all years in the Inventory, as attempts are made to improve both the analyses themselves, through the use of better methods or data, and the overall usefulness of the report.  In general, recalculations are made to the U.S. greenhouse gas emission estimates either to incorporate new methodologies or, most commonly, to update recent historical data.

This article was excerpted from publically available information, and was authored by Joyce Gentry, Acacia Environmental Group LLC. For more information on the author see here.