US
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Hit Record Level
By Steve Connor
20 April 2006
The
Independent
The United States emitted more
greenhouse gases in 2004 than at any time in history, confirming its
status as the world's biggest polluter. Latest figures on the US contribution
to global warming show that its carbon emissions have risen sharply
despite international concerns over climate change.
The figures, which were quietly
released on Easter Monday, reveal that net greenhouse gas emissions
during 2004 increased by 1.7 per cent on the previous year, equivalent
to a rise of 110 million tons of carbon dioxide.
This is the biggest annual
increase since 2000 and means that in 2004 - the latest year that full
data is available - the US released the equivalent of nearly 6,300 million
tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Scientists in Britain condemned
the increase, saying that it showed how the US was failing to take a
lead in the international attempt to curb greenhouse gas emissions despite
being the worst offender.
Professor David Read, the
vice-president of the Royal Society, said that the US and Britain needed
to take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas levels in order to honour
their commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change.
"The figures published
this week show not only that the US emissions are not decreasing, but
that they are actually increasing on an annual basis," Professor
Read said. "And while the UK appears to be doing slightly better,
its carbon dioxide emissions have been rising annually for the past
three years," he said. "The US and the UK are the two leading
scientific nations in the world and are home to some of the best climate
researchers.
"But in terms of fulfilling
the commitment made by their signature to the UN convention to stabilise
greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere, neither country is demonstrating
leadership by reducing their emissions to the levels required,"
Professor Read said.
The US accounts for about
a quarter of the total global emissions of man-made carbon dioxide or
the other gases such as methane that can exacerbate the earth's greenhouse
effect, which traps sunlight and heat.
Under the UN climate change
convention, America is required to publish its net contribution to greenhouse
gas emissions, which takes into account pollution sources, such as cars
and industry, and "sinks", such as forests.
The figures show that the
total US emissions have risen by 15.8 per cent from 1990 to 2004, mainly
due to increased consumption of electricity generated by burning fossil
fuel, a rise in energy demands caused by increased industrial production
and a rise in petrol consumption due to increased travel. Fossil fuel
combustion alone accounted for 94 per cent of the carbon dioxide emissions
produced by the US during 2004, the figures show.
Carbon dioxide levels in
the atmosphere are now a third higher than they were before the Industrial
Revolution began in the 18th century, and probably higher than they
have been for at least 10 million years.
Scientists have suggested
that if the international community is to try to stabilise carbon dioxide
levels at twice pre-industrial levels then countries such as the US
and Britain need to reduce emissions by about 60 per cent by the middle
of this century.
Professor Read said there
was mounting evidence to suggest that rising temperatures caused by
greenhouse gas emissions were beginning to cause serious climate effects,
such as a drop in annual rainfall in east Africa because of rising water
temperatures in the Indian Ocean.
"If emissions continue
to rise, we can expect even more impacts across the world," Professor
Read said. "The developing world will find it difficult to adapt
to climate change and the industrialised countries, which are primarily
responsible for the rise in greenhouse gas levels, should realise that
they would also struggle to adapt to a world in which, for instance,
sea levels are several metres higher," he said.
"The science justifies
action now by all countries to both adapt to climate change and to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions."
The United States emitted
more greenhouse gases in 2004 than at any time in history, confirming
its status as the world's biggest polluter. Latest figures on the US
contribution to global warming show that its carbon emissions have risen
sharply despite international concerns over climate change.
The figures, which were quietly
released on Easter Monday, reveal that net greenhouse gas emissions
during 2004 increased by 1.7 per cent on the previous year, equivalent
to a rise of 110 million tons of carbon dioxide.
This is the biggest annual
increase since 2000 and means that in 2004 - the latest year that full
data is available - the US released the equivalent of nearly 6,300 million
tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Scientists in Britain condemned
the increase, saying that it showed how the US was failing to take a
lead in the international attempt to curb greenhouse gas emissions despite
being the worst offender.
Professor David Read, the
vice-president of the Royal Society, said that the US and Britain needed
to take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas levels in order to honour
their commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change.
"The figures published
this week show not only that the US emissions are not decreasing, but
that they are actually increasing on an annual basis," Professor
Read said. "And while the UK appears to be doing slightly better,
its carbon dioxide emissions have been rising annually for the past
three years," he said. "The US and the UK are the two leading
scientific nations in the world and are home to some of the best climate
researchers.
"But in terms of fulfilling
the commitment made by their signature to the UN convention to stabilise
greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere, neither country is demonstrating
leadership by reducing their emissions to the levels required,"
Professor Read said.
The US accounts for about
a quarter of the total global emissions of man-made carbon dioxide or
the other gases such as methane that can exacerbate the earth's greenhouse
effect, which traps sunlight and heat.
Under the UN climate change convention, America is required to publish
its net contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, which takes into account
pollution sources, such as cars and industry, and "sinks",
such as forests.
The figures show that the
total US emissions have risen by 15.8 per cent from 1990 to 2004, mainly
due to increased consumption of electricity generated by burning fossil
fuel, a rise in energy demands caused by increased industrial production
and a rise in petrol consumption due to increased travel. Fossil fuel
combustion alone accounted for 94 per cent of the carbon dioxide emissions
produced by the US during 2004, the figures show.
Carbon dioxide levels in
the atmosphere are now a third higher than they were before the Industrial
Revolution began in the 18th century, and probably higher than they
have been for at least 10 million years.
Scientists have suggested
that if the international community is to try to stabilise carbon dioxide
levels at twice pre-industrial levels then countries such as the US
and Britain need to reduce emissions by about 60 per cent by the middle
of this century.
Professor Read said there
was mounting evidence to suggest that rising temperatures caused by
greenhouse gas emissions were beginning to cause serious climate effects,
such as a drop in annual rainfall in east Africa because of rising water
temperatures in the Indian Ocean.
"If emissions continue
to rise, we can expect even more impacts across the world," Professor
Read said. "The developing world will find it difficult to adapt
to climate change and the industrialised countries, which are primarily
responsible for the rise in greenhouse gas levels, should realise that
they would also struggle to adapt to a world in which, for instance,
sea levels are several metres higher," he said.
"The science justifies
action now by all countries to both adapt to climate change and to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions."
© 2006 Independent News
and Media Limited