Global Carbon Emissions Way Up in 2010

The recession was not good for most of us but it was good for the environment--at least from a carbon emissions standpoint. In 2009, the year the recession was at its worst, global carbon emissions dropped by 1.4 percent. This is according to the Global Carbon Project. Just as we all were patting ourselves on the back, however, the economy began to recover and 2010 produced a rise in emissions of 5.9 percent--probably the biggest jump in any year since the Industrial Revolution. The combustion of coal represented more than half of the growth in emissions. The Global Carbon Project released its report on 2010 earlier this month. The 2010 concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 389 parts per million, 39 percent higher than the concentration at the start of the Industrial Revolution.

The present carbon dioxide concentration is the highest in at least the last 800,000 years. Contributions to global emissions growth in 2010 were largest from China, the United States, India, Russian Federation, and European Union, with a continuously growing global share from emerging economies. Per capita emissions of developed countries remain several times larger than those of developing countries. According to an article in The New York Times about the 2010 Global Carbon Project report, the fast rise in emissions from developing countries has been caused to a large extent by the growth of energy-intensive manufacturing industries that make goods that rich countries import. Need any more incentive to buy local?

Are all of the efforts by those in the lodging industry to reduce carbon emissions making any difference at all? Of course some, but not much. Again, according to The New York Times article, many countries, as part of their response to the economic crisis, invested billions in programs designed to make their energy systems greener. While it is possible those will pay long-term dividends, the new numbers suggest they have had little effect so far.