The United States led the world in tackling CO2 emissions last year while combining that singular success with solid economic growth, a new report reveals.
It has also been confirmed while the U.S. was hitting its climate goals, at the same time “80 percent of the increase in CO2 emissions came from Asia and that China and India both contributed significantly” to global increases.
“The United States saw the largest decline in energy-related CO2 emissions in 2019 on a country basis – a fall of 140 Mt, or 2.9%, to 4.8 Gt,” the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported Tuesday. “US emissions are now down almost 1 Gt from their peak in the year 2000, the largest absolute decline by any country over that period.”
“A 15% reduction in the use of coal for power generation underpinned the decline in overall US emissions in 2019,” the IEA continued.
“Coal-fired power plants faced even stronger competition from natural gas-fired generation, with benchmark gas prices an average of 45% lower than 2018 levels. As a result, gas increased its share in electricity generation to a record high of 37%. Overall electricity demand declined because the demand for air-conditioning and heating was lower as a result of milder summer and winter weather.”
U.S. success in leading the world in tackling CO2 emissions was not lost on those who support its current efforts.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) responded on Twitter, “FACT you will NEVER see on the 6 o’clock news: U.S. emissions FELL 2.9%, or by 140 million tons, continuing the trend of the United States LEADING THE WORLD IN TOTAL EMISSIONS DECLINE since 2000.”
FACT you will NEVER see on the 6 o’clock news: U.S. emissions FELL 2.9%, or by 140 million tons, continuing the trend of the United States LEADING THE WORLD IN TOTAL EMISSIONS DECLINE since 2000. https://t.co/bZTkmCZbOs
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 12, 2020
The IEA pointed out 80 percent of the increase in CO2 emissions came from Asia and that China and India both contributed significantly to the increase.
“In China, emissions rose but were tempered by slower economic growth and higher output from low-carbon sources of electricity,” the IEA reported.
“Renewables continued to expand in China, and 2019 was also the first full year of operation for seven large-scale nuclear reactors in the country.”
The success of the U.S. in achieving such manifest good work flies in the face of criticism from the likes of Sweden’s Greta Thunberg who has previously chided it for doing the opposite.
As Breitbart News reported, last September Thunberg took her climate alarm message to the U.S. Congress, imploring the nation’s lawmakers to “take real action” to avert environmental disaster.
On the evidence, it would appear that the mission has been accomplished without a single job being lost in the process.
Read more at Breitbart
Sonnyhill and Steve are both right, but since so many believe that carbon dioxide is a problem, the President Trump should emphasize this accomplishment in his re-election campaign. You can bet it will be avidly and universally censored by the mainstream media.
I could not care less.
If you want to champion good old American achievement, don’t get down in the weeds arguing that you’ve reduced CO2 emissions .
Celebrate innovation, efficiency, prosperity, cleaner air and water .
America is using more natural gas and less coal to generate electricity, but shipping coal to China. China wins that transaction.
No sense trying to appease the Climatista’s, you can’t. They hate Uncle Sam.
I was thinking the same thing. I we can produce electricity more cheaply from natural gas then that’s good. But reducing CO2 emissions should not be the reason to do so. And as you say, trying to appease the Climatistas will buy you nothing.
Look America has cut back on the CO2 while China remains the #1 polluter on the Earth Put that in your Hookah and smoke is Eco-Freaks
Don’t acknowledge that CO2 is an issue. It is nothing but a red herring.