A recent New York Times article reported that energy-related CO2 emissions in the U.S. from January-March 2012 were the lowest for the first quarter of the year since 1992. The CO2 emissions from energy consumption during this period of 2012 amounted to 1.34 billion metric tons, down by nearly 8% from a year earlier.
According to the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA)’s report, CO2 emissions during the year are generally highest in the first quarter because of the strong demand for heat produced by fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas. However, the EIA identified the confluence of three factors that contributed to this significant CO2 emissions decline:
The first factor is lower gas heating demand. This is mainly due to a mild winter when temperatures were markedly above the historical average for the season.
The second factor is reduced gasoline demand. This is mainly…
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