Total Pageviews

Monday, February 4, 2019

US Greenhouse Gas Emissions (2016) per EPA






























“EPA tracks 
total U.S. emissions 
by publishing the 
Inventory of U.S. 
Greenhouse Gas 
Emissions and Sinks. 

This annual report 
estimates the total 
national greenhouse 
gas emissions 
and removals 
associated with 
human activities 
across the 
United States.




The primary sources 
of greenhouse 
gas emissions 
in the United States are:

Transportation 
(nearly 28.5 percent 
of 2016 greenhouse 
gas emissions)

– The transportation sector 
generates the largest share 
of greenhouse gas emissions. 

Greenhouse gas emissions 
from transportation 
primarily come from 
burning fossil fuel 
for our cars, trucks, 
ships, trains, and planes. 

Over 90 percent of the fuel 
used for transportation 
is petroleum based, 
which includes gasoline 
and diesel.




Electricity Production 
(28.4 percent of 2016 
greenhouse gas emissions)

– Electricity production 
generates the second largest 
share of greenhouse gas 
emissions. 

Approximately 68 percent 
of our electricity 
comes from burning 
fossil fuels, mostly coal 
and natural gas.





Industry 
(22 percent of 2016 
greenhouse gas emissions)

– Greenhouse gas emissions 
from industry primarily 
come from burning 
fossil fuels for energy, 
as well as greenhouse gas 
emissions from certain 
chemical reactions 
necessary to produce 
goods from raw materials.”




Commercial and Residential 
(11 percent of 2016 
greenhouse gas emissions)

– Greenhouse gas emissions 
from businesses and homes 
arise primarily from 
fossil fuels burned for heat, 
the use of certain products 
that contain greenhouse gases, 
and the handling of waste.




Agriculture 
(9 percent of 2016 
greenhouse gas emissions)

– Greenhouse gas emissions 
from agriculture come from 
livestock such as cows, 
agricultural soils, 
and rice production.




Land Use and Forestry 
(offset (reduction) of 11 percent 
of 2016 greenhouse 
gas emissions)

– Land areas 
can act as a sink 
(absorbing CO2 from 
the atmosphere) 
or a source of 
greenhouse gas emissions. 

In the United States, 
since 1990, 
managed forests 
and other lands 
have absorbed 
more CO2 from 
the atmosphere
than they emit.



Source of quote: