Power Up

Rise in U.S. power plant emissions outpaced electricity demand in 2007

Posted at 12:11 PM on 19 Mar 2008

Carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. power plants rose 2.9 percent from 2006 to 2007, according to data analysis by the Environmental Integrity Project. That's the largest annual increase in nine years and outpaced demand for electricity, according to the report. And the impact will last well beyond a year, warns EIP Director Eric Schaeffer: "Because CO2 has an atmospheric lifetime of between 50 and 200 years, today's emissions could cause global warming for up to two centuries to come." If that's not depressing enough, try this on for size: Nine scientists, including ubiquitous NASA climate guru James Hansen, have written a draft paper saying that the globe has already passed the safe point for atmospheric CO₂ concentration, and we should rapidly reduce emissions to approximately 1988 levels. Which is -- um, how to put this -- easier said than done.

sources: Associated Press, Environment News Service, The New York Times

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Comments: (4 comments)

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The End Is Nigh

Re the draft paper: As Dave Foreman said in 1986, due to the massive ecological damage humans have caused, the most we can realistically expect to accomplish is to save something to grow back after the next ice age comes and recedes. (Of course, due to global warming, there might not be an ice age!) If one takes a biocentric view of life, this is something well worth fighting for and we need to keep doing so. Never give up hope, even when reality seems to say otherwise. At the very least, when you'll be able to die knowing that you did what you could.

by Wolverine at 1:17 PM on 19 Mar 2008

This year, at least...

...one would expect it to go down some, with the high prices of gas and coal.

I believe recent reports indicate that gas consumption is already down 3% for the year compared to the last. And considerin' that each year usually sees a 1.5% increase, that's pretty good.

And we can only expect it'll drop more as gas and oil prices rise even higher.

by Tasermons Partner at 6:11 PM on 19 Mar 2008

Predictable, and preventable

Seeing as how we have already maxed out our ability to harvest electricity from hydro; in fact many dams need to be removed to save a bit of life in the rivers, most of the increase in electricity generation will logically, but foolishly, come from coal. Thus, emissions increases will outpace electrical generation increases for several years.

We have three choices:
1.) Hope cap and trade comes online and works to reduce coal usage (unlikely).
2.) Try to get voluntary conservation. Unlikely as long as most Americans see the likes of Al Gore refusing to conserve.
3.) Put individual household quotas on grid power to force conservation/alternative generation. When EVERYONE shares the pain together, it is easier to deal with. A similar system was used during WWII, and they didn't have half the technological and data handling systems to pull it off.

by human power at 8:54 PM on 19 Mar 2008

Option 4...

...state/regional quotas instead of household quotas. Many states already have quotas for renewable energy, and it's been great to help with the recent building boon of wind in Texas and California, as well as solar in New Mexico and Arizona.

by Tasermons Partner at 9:01 PM on 19 Mar 2008

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