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Vehicle Emissions Up Slightly for 2005

According to a new Department of Energy report, C02 emissions from vehicles grew in 2005, but at a slightly slower rate than before. The report shows that if we are serious about curbing CO2 emissions, a higher gas tax is the way to go. … Overall transportation CO2 emissions increased by 29 percent from 1990 […]

According to a new Department of Energy report, C02 emissions from vehicles grew in 2005, but at a slightly slower rate than before. The report shows that if we are serious about curbing CO2 emissions,Carsmoke200
a higher gas tax is the way to go.

*... Overall transportation CO2 emissions increased by 29 percent from 1990 to 2005, representing an average annual increase of 1.8 percent. Between 2004 and 2005 transportation CO2 emissions increased by 1.6 percent. *

So not a really big change as we've had several other comparable years of slowing growth. While cars are producing less CO2 (down 2.2 percent), we can thank pickup trucks and SUVs for the overall increase in CO2, as they generated 2.9 percent more of the greenhouse gas.

CO2 emissions from fossil fuels in 2005 increased by 0.7 percent from the previous year, compared to an average increase of 1.1 percent from 1990 to 2005.

The DOE says paying more at the pump was responsible for the decreasing rate of increasing CO2 emissions.

*This small increase is primarily a result of the restraint on fuel consumption caused by rising fuel prices, primarily in the transportation sector. *

So, if we are serious about reducing CO2 emissions, isn't raising the fuel tax the most effective means of doing so? I say we go for a 50 cent per gallon increase in the federal gasoline tax, 40 cents more for more efficient diesel, and then end the subsidies for ethanol and let the fuel compete on its own.

More data from the report:

Total emissions of the six main greenhouse gases in 2005 were equivalent to 7,260 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. The report indicates that overall emissions have grown by 16 percent from 1990 to 2005, while the U.S. economy has grown by 55 percent over the same period.

So total greenhouse gas emissions rose by .78 percent, down from an average of 1 percent for the previous 16 years. Better, but not by much.

Source:DOE