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No shenanigans here, U.S. carbon emissions are down

U.S. energy-related carbon emissions are down in 2012 according to the Energy Information Administration: Now there are several ways to say that carbon emissions are down.

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American


U.S. energy-related carbon emissions are down in 2012 according to the Energy Information Administration:

Now there are several ways to say that carbon emissions are down. A common practice is to use carbon intensity, which is a handy policy metric for measuring carbon emissions against economic output (tons of carbon dioxide emissions to GDP). But a lot of the time carbon intensity can be used to distort just how much carbon emissions have gone up or down. Because it is a ratio, as long as GDP grows faster than carbon emissions, you will have a favorable outcome (assuming you desire lower carbon emissions).

But there is no fudging with the latest stats - both carbon intensity (above) and total carbon emissions are down:


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I bring this up not to poo-poo carbon intensity - it is a decent policy metric and handy for comparing economies with each other, especially developing versus developed economies - but it is easy to selectively choose carbon intensity when it is most convenient. You can see this if you look at 1997. I could tell you that carbon intensity is down and therefore my policies are working just fine, but a look at the total energy-related carbon emissions would tell a different story.

David Wogan is an engineer and policy researcher who writes about energy, technology, and policy.

David's academic and professional background includes a unique blend of technology and policy in the field of energy systems. Most recently, David worked at Austin Energy, a Texas municipal utility, implementing a Department of Energy stimulus grant related to energy efficiency. Previously, David was a member of the Energy & Climate Change team at the White House Council on Environmental Quality for the Obama Administration.

David holds two Master's degrees from The University of Texas at Austin in Mechanical Engineering and Public Affairs. While at UT, David was a researcher in the Webber Energy Group, where his research focused on advanced biofuel production to offset petroleum use in the transportation sector. David holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, where he researched nuclear non-proliferation measurement technology.

David is a 2013 Aspen Institute Journalism Scholar, joining a select group of journalists from Slate, ABC News, and The New York Times.

David lives in Austin, Texas. Follow along on Twitter or email him at david.wogan@me.com.

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