Cars, Trucks Increase Emissions, Even as U.S. Total Drops

Apparently we’ll have to wait a little longer for the impact of all those new hybrids to reach the atmosphere. Despite the boom of more fuel-efficient vehicles hitting the roads, carbon emissions for all cars and trucks on the road increased in 2006, according to the U.S. government.

Carbon dioxide emissions rose .3% for all cars and trucks burning gasoline. Weighing in at 1.19 billion tons, (yes, that’s billion with a “b”), these emissions accounted for approximately 17% of the total U.S. output of carbon dioxide. This figure does not include all fossil-fuel-based transportation, such as diesel trucks and airplanes, which would increase the total to 2.01 billion tons.

Although automakers continue to introduce more fuel-efficient vehicles, since 1990 drivers have continued to increase the distance they travel every year, at least partially offsetting gains in efficiency.

Overall, however, greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. were actually down 1.5% — the first decrease since 2001 and only the third year since 1990 that emissions didn’t set a new record. However, this decline was due largely to a warmer winter and the fact that the cost of heating oil and gasoline went up.

Nice to know you can find troubling news even in the silver lining these days, isn’t it?

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Up for Cars, Trucks in 2006 (Detroit Free Press)