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[Shortpoet-GTD]

A slowed economy, more people switched to hybrids and electrics, old coal plants
closing, has all led to lower levels. (I figured we all need a good news post to keep
our spirits up.)

"Projections of future carbon emissions went down.
Part of that is due to the Great Recession of course, but that is far from the whole story.
EIA projected a 37% increase in CO2 emissions between 2005 and 2025.
This year EIA is projecting that emissions in 2025 will be 6% below what they were in 2005.
Looking out to the end of the current forecast horizon in 2035 emissions are still projected to be 3% below 2005 levels.
The Obama administration has proposed aggressive new efficiency standards for automobiles.

Accounting for these standards will reduce emissions by another 2-3% in 2025 and about 6-7% in 2035. EIA has also not yet incorporated the effect of the power plant Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, which were finalized just before Christmas. Those standards are likely to reduce power plant emissions by at least a couple of percent as some generators choose to replace aging coal plants with cleaner sources rather than invest in the pollution controls needed to keep the old plants running.
EPA is overdue to issue carbon pollution standards for power plants, which will push emissions still lower."

http://switchboard.n...mental Experts)

[jasserEnv]

It is good to see these particulate emissions going lower. Hopefully we can push some of these changes and technologies overseas too so that developing countries can reduce their particulate pollution levels as well. Otherwise, I suspect we will see more of their pollution traveling around the world and impeding our ability to further reduce our levels. I am thinking of China in particular where more and more people are suffering the effects of poor air quality. I also hope that some of the same trends that drive particulate levels lower can also provide some gains against global warming. There is some overlap in this.