Steady decline in US carbon emissions stalled by cold winter
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.028375
Ars Technica : According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), total US emissions of carbon dioxide rose in 2013 compared with the previous year. The rise constitutes an upward blip in a downward trend that began nine years ago. Increased economic activity was not responsible for the rise, says the EIA. Although US GDP per capita rose by 1.5% from 2012 to 2013, the gain was partly offset by increased energy efficiency. Rather, the boost in emissions resulted primarily from the unusually low temperatures of last winter, which led to increased burning of fuel oil. Another contributor was a rise in the price of natural gas, which prompted electric utilities to save money by burning more coal.
