Greenhouse gas emissions, the major driver behind climate change, have risen in 2013, according to the EPA’s U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks report. The annual inventory showed that emissions increased by 2% from 2012 levels, but also note that a 9% drop in emissions since 2005 has also been achieved.
Of the 6,673 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent released in 2013, power plants were the largest source of emissions, claiming 31% of the total. The transportation sector came in second with 27%, and industry and manufacturing made up the third largest emissions source with 21%. The EPA points to larger increased energy demand across all U.S. industries and more use of coal in energy generation as the primary reasons for increased use in 2013.
Along with the reports’ release, the EPA is also publishing data in an online tool called the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data Explorer, which will allow users to sort data from each of the Greenhouse Gas Inventory reports by sector, year, and greenhouse gas.
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