The EPA will be seeking public comment on the annual inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2009 draft report after it opens to the general population 30 days after the Federal Register notice is published.
The results of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2009 show that in 2009, overall greenhouse gas emissions decreased 6% since 2008. This trend is being attributed to decreased fuel and energy consumption across all U.S. economic sectors.
The inventory tracks carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. It also calculates carbon dioxide emissions removed from the atmosphere through forests, vegetation, and soils.
With the emissions in 2009 representing the lowest annual total in the U.S. since 1995, the United States is moving closer to achieving greenhouse gas goals.
The annual report is prepared by the EPA in collaboration with professionals from other federal agencies, and will be submitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change after being available for public comment.
For more information on the annual U.S. greenhouse gas inventory, visit www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usinventoryreport.html
