Carbon dioxide, methane emissions increase in 2008
April 22
Emissions of carbon dioxide and methane -- two of the major greenhouse
gases -- increased in 2008 despite a worldwide economic slump, according to
a preliminary analysis by the federal government.
Researchers measured an additional 16.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide and
an additional 12.2 million tons of methane in the air at the end of 2008,
according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which
released its preliminary findings April 21. NOAA tracks atmospheric
concentrations of the greenhouse gases from 60 sites around the world.
"Only by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and increasing energy
production from renewable resources will we start to see improvements and
begin to lessen the effects of climate change," said Pieter Tans, a NOAA
scientist with the Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo. "We
need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the point where they match levels
that can be absorbed by Earth´s ecosystems."
The increases in carbon dioxide and methane during 2009 are slightly less
than those measured in 2007, according to NOAA experts.
Contact Waste & Recycling News senior reporter Bruce Geiselman at
330-865-6172 or bgeiselman@crain.com
w w w . w a s t e r e c y c l i n g n e w s . c o m
copyright 2009 by Crain
Communications Inc. All rights reserved.
|