CO2 Emissions Are Down, but They Have Much Further to Go

Last week, environmentalists got a rare bit of good news:  U.S. CO2 emissions dropped 3.8 percent in 2012, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.  That brings emissions to their lowest level since 1994, and represents the fifth drop in seven years.  And unlike some previous years, the drop was not the silver lining to a shrinking economy: The economy grew by 2.8 percent in 2012.

But before you get too comfortable, it’s worth looking at those numbers in the context of what we need to achieve to avert catastrophic climate change. There are three reasons to stay worried, and vigilant:

1. CO2 is not the only greenhouse gas.
2. The U.S. has to keep up this performance year after year, and it will get harder as emissions go down.
3. The whole world has to do the same.

CO2 Emissions Are Down, but They Have Much Further to Go