Despite worldwide economic recession, global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rose 2% in 2008, according to new figures from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The increase was primarily driven by China’s growing economy, which was responsible for nearly three-quarters of the emissions increase, according to the study published online Tuesday in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Economic downturn did keep the increase in emissions from reaching 3.6%–the average growth rate of recent years. And researchers predict emissions will decrease 3% globally for 2009.
US emissions fell 3% in 2008, and European emissions fell 1%.
The U.S. is still the No. 1 biggest carbon polluter per capita and No. 2 overall, emitting more than the next four largest polluting countries combined: India, Russia, Japan and Germany. China has been No. 1, since pushing past the United States in 2006.
Read the Associated Press report at the link below.
Loading...