The positive effects of the economic crisis on the environment

The United States reports a decrease in CO2 emissions for 2008, which follows low economic activity due to the severe financial crisis and high energy prices

The United States records a 2.8 percent drop in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels in 2008. According to Energy Information Administration reports, this is the sharpest drop in CO2 emissions in the last twenty years. This is under the influence of the acute economic crisis that accompanied the year and manifested itself in less economic activity than usual, as well as in energy prices that soared to new highs.

CO2 emissions from fossil fuels fell by 6 percent, emissions from coal decreased by 1.1 percent and only CO2 emissions from natural gas showed an increase of one percent. This figure indicates the beginning of a change in American energy consumption habits and the transition to cheaper and cleaner alternatives.

The data does reveal that in 2008 the American citizen traveled less in his car, but at the end of the day the transportation industry remains the most polluting of all industries. Until 1999, it was the industry that emitted the highest amount of CO2, since then transportation is at the top of the table. Also, since 1990, transportation has shown a 21.1 percent increase in carbon dioxide emissions (an annual increase of 1.1 percent), while the industry sector has shown an annual decrease of 0.3 percent.

This information is essential for tracking American progress following the provisions of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and the provisions of the Waxman-Markey Act of 2009 regarding emission reductions. The total emission of the USA in 2008 was 15.9 percent higher than the data in 1990 (a year which is a base point for the Kyoto Protocol), and 2.8 percent below the emission data for 2005 (base point of the American law).

to the EIA notice