Good news on the environmental front. American emissions of carbon dioxide all but halted in 2004 – 2005. This was despite economic growth of 3.5 percent. Actually, the U.S. has been making progress on carbon dioxide for a while, but the improvement just accelerated:
U.S. carbon dioxide intensity (energy-related carbon dioxide emissions per unit of economic output) fell by 3.3 percent in 2005. From 1990 to 2005, the carbon dioxide intensity of the economy fell by 24.3 percent. By 2004 (the latest year of data for all greenhouse gases), carbon dioxide intensity had fallen by 21.8 percent and emissions of total greenhouse gases per dollar of GDP had fallen by 23.4 percent. The 3.3-percent drop in carbon dioxide intensity of the economy in 2005 is greater than the average reduction of 1.8 percent per year experienced since 1990.
The reason? Gas prices, dummy. The consumer does respond to price pressure. By far the quickest, simplest, fiscally responsible measure we could take to deal with global warming and advance in the war on terror would be a $1 rise in the gas tax. Are Americans really serious about this war? Or are they as serious as their president?
The Dish 