The U.S. Energy Information Administration has just released the figures comparing 2008 with the previous year and found that greenhouse gas emissions, from just the transportation sector, dropped 4.7% between 2007 and 2008.
The EIA attributed the drop not just to the gas price rise of the summer of 2008, but also in the Fall to the near-depression-level econo-apocalypse that denuded neighborhoods of many of the businesses that we take for granted as part of the landscape.
In my neighborhood alone that financial collapse took out even big box stores that had been there forever like Circuit City, Target, a Mitsubishi dealership and small franchises like Jamba Juice. I’m sure you’ve seen it in your neighborhood too.
The drop in 2008 is thus probably just the first sighting of a much larger iceberg. Despite the TARP bailout of banks at the end of the year, businesses still found it almost impossible to get credit again through much of 2009 with the result that unemployment levels are now at record highs nationwide.
One in ten of us is no longer driving to work five days a week. Almost half—44.6%—of our fossil energy use comes from driving. Couple that with fewer truckloads supplying emptied Target Stores, and it will be likely that the drop in greenhouse gases from the transportation sector for 2009 is going to be higher than 4.7%.
The new figures will come out in December 2010 and I’m betting it’s going to be a further drop in 2009. There is an Irish bookie offering bets on future carbon dioxide emission levels. And for 2010 a more positive driver of lowered fossil fuel use is on the horizon: next year is the year beginning the promised electric car roll-outs we’ve been waiting for.
Federal Agencies are now under Executive Order to reduce their use of fossil energy 30% by 2020. They buy one in every 17 vehicles sold every year. With electric cars finally coming onto the market next year, the 500 million employees of Federal Agencies will likely look at swapping out gas guzzlers for EVs to get to the goal.
This reduction in fossil-fuel use comes not just from road transportation. One Federal Agency; the US Air Force, has made some unprecedented moves that would lower greenhouse gases from jet fuels, with tests for advanced biofuels like Camelina.
The next few years might bring some even more encouraging statistics from the Energy Information Administration—encouraging statistics that aren’t the result of bad news to boot.
Image: Flikr user Bulls Fan
Source: EIA (pdf) via Green Car Advisor
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About Susan Kraemer
This is rather kind of weird seeing that Target store because right next to my house, they are building a new Target. Well at least they planned to before the crash.
First an old shopping center lay in decay for years and was built over by HomeDepot (thanks for that, very handy). Then Staples moved right in next door but can’t be doing that well, its always almost empty. Then Target acquires land on other side of HomeDepot. Problem is they first had to move a small hill and cut down the forest to clear the land. Now they have a very nice parking lot and some landscaping and a scarred hillside to look at. BUT no TARGET in target. And the kicker is that we aren’t even on a major highway that normally can feed these box stores, we are on Route 20 in Marlboro MA, a mostly single lane road.
I have to wonder how many former electronics engineers from DEC and others now find themselves working at HomeDepot.
This is rather kind of weird seeing that Target store because right next to my house, they are building a new Target. Well at least they planned to before the crash.
First an old shopping center lay in decay for years and was built over by HomeDepot (thanks for that, very handy). Then Staples moved right in next door but can’t be doing that well, its always almost empty. Then Target acquires land on other side of HomeDepot. Problem is they first had to move a small hill and cut down the forest to clear the land. Now they have a very nice parking lot and some landscaping and a scarred hillside to look at. BUT no TARGET in target. And the kicker is that we aren’t even on a major highway that normally can feed these box stores, we are on Route 20 in Marlboro MA, a mostly single lane road.
I have to wonder how many former electronics engineers from DEC and others now find themselves working at HomeDepot.
Hopefully the downward trend continues and I think it will. Companies and consumers are paying more attention to environmentally friendly products.
Hopefully the downward trend continues and I think it will. Companies and consumers are paying more attention to environmentally friendly products.
Nick, Why do you so understate what the United States Air Force is doing in the way of synthetic fuel.
This is a small story from the Air Force Magazine Daily report. It is available online and anyone can subscribe for free.
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Warthog Goes Synthetic: The Air Force has completed test flights of the A-10 operating with the synthetic fuel blend that it wants its entire aircraft inventory cleared to use by early next decade. Derek Kaufman, spokesman for Air Force Materiel Command, confirmed this to the Daily Report Tuesday. USAF is pursing this fuel initiative as one means to decrease US dependence on foreign sources of energy. The fuel blend comprises 50 percent JP-8 jet fuel and 50 percent synthetic paraffinic kerosene, which is currently derived from natural gas, but can also be made from coal of which the US has abundant supply. So far, the Air Force has certified the B-1B, B-52H, C-17, and F-15 to operate unconstrained on this fuel blend. And the C-5, C-130, F-22, KC-135, and T-38 have flown with it in tests. Next up to fly with the fuel mix is the B-2 bomber, said Kaufman.
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To me this sounds like more than “some unprecedented moves”.
Nick, Why do you so understate what the United States Air Force is doing in the way of synthetic fuel.
This is a small story from the Air Force Magazine Daily report. It is available online and anyone can subscribe for free.
——————-
Warthog Goes Synthetic: The Air Force has completed test flights of the A-10 operating with the synthetic fuel blend that it wants its entire aircraft inventory cleared to use by early next decade. Derek Kaufman, spokesman for Air Force Materiel Command, confirmed this to the Daily Report Tuesday. USAF is pursing this fuel initiative as one means to decrease US dependence on foreign sources of energy. The fuel blend comprises 50 percent JP-8 jet fuel and 50 percent synthetic paraffinic kerosene, which is currently derived from natural gas, but can also be made from coal of which the US has abundant supply. So far, the Air Force has certified the B-1B, B-52H, C-17, and F-15 to operate unconstrained on this fuel blend. And the C-5, C-130, F-22, KC-135, and T-38 have flown with it in tests. Next up to fly with the fuel mix is the B-2 bomber, said Kaufman.
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To me this sounds like more than “some unprecedented moves”.
ChuckL,
I didn’t write the post, Susan did, perhaps you should ask her that question
Susan has written extensively about the major contributions the entire US military has made and is planning on making to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
I’ll let her talk about that…