Greenhouse gas emissions took a sharp rise last year after the U.S. attempted to return to normalcy. The emissions, which rose to a startling 6.2 percent, were because of an increase in the use of fossil fuels for transportation and other industries. In the latest U.S. climate change news, emissions rise faster than the economy.
For a while, emissions decreased because of lockdowns, store closures, and travel bans. They remained almost 5 percent below the 2019 levels. This is according to the Rhodium Group, a research firm that tracks data on greenhouse gasses.
However, as the report also indicated, this isn’t nearly enough to solve or mitigate U.S. climate change.
Rising numbers
Kate Larsen, a partner from the Rhodium Group, said that the firm had estimated the rise in emissions. However, they did not expect these to grow faster than the economy. The data is problematic. With little impact on climate emissions, it would mean more hurdles for the U.S. and its climate goals.
According to the report, which uses the predictions by Goldman Sachs on U.S. gross domestic product, the economy only grew at about 5.7 percent in 2021.
The emissions last year were largely because of the use of coal for power. Natural gas production, the default power source, has been leading power generation since 2014. Aside from that, a price spike and declining supply made matters worse. The result is a 17 percent increase in the use of coal.
Transportation emissions also rose last year, at just about 10 percent. While jet fuel remains lower than pre-pandemic numbers, the use of diesel rose higher. Larsen pins this to the use of diesel on ports, where the transport of goods is made to our homes, restaurants, and other services.
A failure of climate change action
Prior to this report, most hoped that the pandemic would force U.S. emissions to improve or lessen. However, the numbers proved otherwise. Larsen says that without any major changes, the trajectory of U.S. climate change will not get the country any closer to its 2030 goals.
The current U.S. climate change action goal is to reduce emissions by 50 percent below 2005 in eight years or in 2030. Based on the numbers and the moderate declines, U.S. climate change will most likely remain unsolved.
The world has been trying to resolve climate change for decades. For decades now, world leaders have set up benchmarks and other targets to lessen the emission of greenhouse gasses to no avail. The result, however, is an uncoordinated effort to contain the use of fossil fuels and other harmful gasses.
The failure of the COP26 to phase out coal is a major reason why countries struggle with pledges. It is also a clear indication of how ruinous the lack of ironclad policies on coal can affect nations in the long term. And, despite what many would hope, carbon dioxide and methane emissions are still on the rise.
According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, the seven hottest years on the planet were recorded during the last seven years.
Why is climate change important
Climate change impacts in the United States have been unforgiving, to say the least. Hurricanes and other forest fire incidents have grown in number. Aside from that, waves of natural disasters also threaten to destroy natural landscapes all over the country.
As the world inches closer to a 1-degree rise in temperature, it’s become essential to be more aware of the factors shaping how we live. For many, solving U.S. climate change would come only when policymakers and private sector leaders cooperate.
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