Environment: Climate Change

• Share

Worldwide carbon dioxide emissions are growing at a much faster rate than scientists had projected, according to a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. One reason for the underestimation: energy use has grown more quickly than many countries' economies. That's not good news for the fight against global warming. Some findings from the report:

8 billion In 2005 nearly 8 billion tons of carbon were pumped into the atmosphere, compared with 6.4 billion tons in 1995.

1.1% CO2 emissions from automobiles, power plants and factories grew at an annual rate of 1.1% during the 1990s.

3% From 2000 to 2004, the annual growth rate for CO2 emissions was 3%, nearly triple the rate from 1990 to 1999.

73% Developing nations, including China and India, accounted for 73% of emissions growth but only 41% of actual emissions.

0 The study found no region had reduced the percentage of its energy supply coming from fossil carbon.