U.S. carbon emissions tick higher in first half of year
washington » The Obama administration appears to be losing ground in its efforts to cut U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases, according to new government figures that show pollution levels rising again after several years of gradual decline.
Data released Friday by the Energy Department show American factories and power plants putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere during the first six months of 2014 compared with the same period in each of the past two years.
The figures confirm a reversal first seen in 2013, when the trend of steadily falling emissions abruptly halted.
The higher emissions are primarily a reflection of a rebounding economy, as American businesses burned more gas and oil to meet higher demand. The shift also underscores the challenge confronting theObama administration as it seeks to honor a pledge to sharply cut U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases by the end of the decade.
The release of the new emissions figures comes three days after President Barack Obama stood before a U.N. climate summit to highlightU.S. progress in reducing levels of carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for warming the planet.
“TheUnited States has reduced our total carbon pollution by more than any other nation on Earth, but we have to do more,” Obama told world leaders at U.N. headquarters in New York.
Administration officials said the increase was not surprising given the improving economy, and some pointed to one of the report’s bright spots: Even as the economy expanded, carbon emissions fromautomobiles have remained flat, as more Americans switched to fuelefficient cars and trucks.
Across the nation, carbon emissions for the first six months of the year were nearly 3 percent higher than during the same period last year, and about 6 percent higher than in 2012.
The Energy Department data, released by the Energy InformationAdministration, showhigher pollution levels fromall major classes of fossil fuels, including petroleum, natural gas and coal.