2 Billion Tons of CO2
The arrival of $100/barrel oil underscores the economic consequences of our petroleum dependence. But don’t forget the environmental consequences.
America spews nearly 2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year into the Earth’s atmosphere because we use so much oil to drive our transportation sector.
Compare that to ethanol, which is currently responsible for reducing U.S. CO2 emissions by 14 million tons a year. Those reductions will continue to improve thanks to the recent passage of an expanded Renewable Fuels Standard.
Sources:
US Energy Information Administration, “Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2006,” November 2007.
“Ethanol: A Convenient Solution to an Inconvenient Truth,” by Brett Hulsey, Better Environmental Solutions,
December 5, 2007.
