Greenhouse gases, CO2 and Fossil Fuels - Here is how they are related.
Most people know that humans contribute to greenhouse gases, which have a negative impact on our world, but we thought you might like to see what the distribution by type and sector is. By being more knowledgeable about the things that contribute the most to greenhouse gases, we can be more aware of the best areas to target reductions or alternatives that will have the greatest positive impact.
Our data is from the following site: http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/ggrpt/
This site is the Energy Information Administration (EIA) and contains the Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government.
The specific report we used for our graphs is #2 - Carbon Dioxide Emissions which has statistics for the year 2005.
Why did we focus on Carbon Dioxide Emissions?
Here are a couple of stunning statistics to explain why:
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions represent about 84% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
- In the United States, most carbon dioxide (98%) is emitted as a result of the combustion of fossil fuels!
The first graph visually depicts how much Fossil Fuel Combustion is by far the largest part of greenhouse gas emissions:
So, now let's take that huge piece of the pie, and take a closer look at how it breaks down in two ways:
First - by sector. The largest piece is Transportation, followed by Industrial and then Residential.
Second - by type. In this graph, you can see that the biggest piece is Petroleum, followed by Electricity. Remember - Electricity is a contributor in many ways - primarily coal fired generating plants and to a lesser extent petroleum and natural gas generating. When we talk about the petroleum piece - we are talking about petroleum consumption - not for electrical generation - but for Manufacturing, Transportation, and Residential and Commercial heating.
Let's take a closer look at the petroleum piece. By far the largest piece of the petroleum consumption is Gasoline for Transportation. Over 19% of all petroleum caused CO2 emissions are from Gasoline for Transportation.
So, what does this all tell us? Well, it tells us that the biggest reduction in greenhouse gases is to be found by reducing or eliminating the burning of fossil fuels (gasoline) for transportation and by reducing or eliminating the types of electrical generation that contribute the most to greenhouse gas emissions - predominantly coal fired generating plants in the U.S.
Does that mean we should not focus on other areas like your home? Not at all. Residential use still contributes to 21% of CO2 emissions so cutting back or finding alternatives for electricity use, heating, air conditioning and fuel use can still make a huge difference.
A much bigger and faster impact is found in transportation gasoline reduction and the reduction of coal fired generating plants. Reducing demand for electricity by cutting back or using alternatives like solar or wind power will mean less demand for 'dirty' electricity.
Are you doing your part? Do we really need those gas guzzling cars or SUV's? Next time you are in the market for a new car, why not consider one that saves fuel?