Cars, Trucks Increase Emissions, Even as U.S. Total Drops

Apparently we’ll have to wait a little longer for the impact of all those new hybrids to reach the atmosphere. Despite the boom of more fuel-efficient vehicles hitting the roads, carbon emissions for all cars and trucks on the road increased in 2006, according to the U.S. government.

Carbon dioxide emissions rose .3% for all cars and trucks burning gasoline. Weighing in at 1.19 billion tons, (yes, that’s billion with a “b”), these emissions accounted for approximately 17% of the total U.S. output of carbon dioxide. This figure does not include all fossil-fuel-based transportation, such as diesel trucks and airplanes, which would increase the total to 2.01 billion tons.

Although automakers continue to introduce more fuel-efficient vehicles, since 1990 drivers have continued to increase the distance they travel every year, at least partially offsetting gains in efficiency.

Overall, however, greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. were actually down 1.5% — the first decrease since 2001 and only the third year since 1990 that emissions didn’t set a new record. However, this decline was due largely to a warmer winter and the fact that the cost of heating oil and gasoline went up.

Nice to know you can find troubling news even in the silver lining these days, isn’t it?

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Up for Cars, Trucks in 2006 (Detroit Free Press)

Comments

[LM]

A very good reason a CO2 tax is necessary. Only will this create the necessary incentives to reduce CO2 emissions from automobiles.

[Andy]

That’s because just about 20% of our energy fuel is consumed by passenger vehicles. The remaining 80% is consumed by power plants, trucks (for transporting goods), and factories. So I would say, even if everyone converted to hybrids, which is not going to happen, emissions will continue to rise until the human race vanishes.

[J]

If people don't live so far from each other, the delivery trucks don't need to travel as far.

[**]

Thanks to all the unnecessary large vehicles on the road (that includes p/u trucks for people that never haul anything but groceries) emissions will continue to escalate to the point of unhealthy air in practically every city. Lung disease will prevail, leading to many deaths. Car manufactures will pursue the sales of large vehicles only because it increases their profit margin. Child-birth defects will become more prevalent from dirty air. Mass transit is not and will not be accepted. The rail system continues to disintegrate, impacting freight trains. Therefore shipping will continue via large semi-truck, clogging highways. The sad part is what's done is done.

[Amuro Ray]

The saddest part of this is that many Americans are still on the denial of the harmful effects of exhaust emission. How many times have I seen the nay sayers stating "show me conclusive evidence" before they will try to accept the fact, or even change - the conclusive evidence - their mind sets? Unfortunately, by the time they see the effect, it's too late to do anything already! So, unless the citizens of this country get more educated, they will never understand the true meaning of freedom, rights, and priviledges.

There is more than enough money out there to destroy our nature, but there'll NEVER be a way for us to restore nature no matter how much money we have.

[Ira]

Maybe some day the Global Warming crowd will pick up a book and realize that you can remove all of the cars from US roads and it wouldn't put a dent into the so called Global Warming problem. As long as facts don't get into the way, what the hell, right?

[panic]

Ira, while I see your point and don't necessarily disagree, 17% seems like a dent to me.

Personally, I moved into the city from the burbs. I ride my bike to work when I can (weather being a factor, Midwest and all) since I live ~ 3 miles from downtown. There are grocery stores, restaurants, libraries, barbers, etc. all within walking distance from my house. I now forget when the last time I put gas in my car. I actually make a little less money than I did 5 years ago, yet I have more disposable income. Kinda nice. When the collapse of our oil based word comes, the idea of communities and cities working together with their neighbor will once again be prominent.

[Paul Thornson]

"When the collapse of our oil based word comes"...I'm sure you meant world, not word. Either way you should write for CNN as none of us will be around when that 'collapse' comes.
Too bad the posts don't live up to the quality of the article.

Again, another reason the electric car should've never been killed, if it had kept going and Big Brother and Big Oil kept their greedy hands out of it, this problem would be much smaller. Unless you drive and drive and drive and drive hundreds of miles in a day, theres no reason to have EV ranges of 200 miles or more. 100 or less would do. That would really help to cut emissions, more so then hybrids because no matter how much automakers and people harp about how clean they are, they still need GASOLINE.

[panic]

"none of us will be around when that 'collapse' comes."

While that may (or may not) be so, people keep living like there is no end to our fuel. It is all about "me" and nobody else. It sure is a good thing that oil is not a finite resource:P

P.S. Thanks for pointing out the typo, Captain Webster.

[ZB]

Soccer moms do need big, $50,000 SUV's to haul soccer balls around. A small truck, or SUV, will never get the job done. Never! Give these soccer moms a break.

I drive a Ford Ranger and it's just not equipped to haul six or seven soccer balls, much less one soccer ball, around for a kid.

Good job Ford Motor Company for killing the Ford Ranger. Big trucks are just what the American public should be driving. Not! Not!

Every night I dream of owning a new redesigned, and hopefully bigger, Ford F-150. Not! Not!

[ZB]

"Oil is not a finite resource." That's right!

My biggest fear is that all of these liberal, rabid tree huggers will be voted into office next November.

Replenishing the ol' bad air with good air will take just a few months. No big deal.

Trust our government. Trust our leaders. Cough! Cough!

[Per Olaf]

It is scary how the Global Warming loonies can say one thing today and tomorrow the opposite, like predicting huge hurricanes because ofn global warming and now saying the they were few because of it.

As somebody told me once, the only thing warming the the head of somebody.

By the way, Japan, Italy and Spain have to pay a huge fine for increasing the emissions, even Japanese want to leave the Kyoto "helping to decrease the temperature less than one Celsius degree" protocol.

Nice try to raise taxes, though.

I am for recycling and cleaning and stopping the oil dependency, but let the technology develop, stop the fear and scare tactics.