"Carbon Dioxide Emissions From US Energy Sector Fall 12% Since 2005"

"The shift comes amid a decline in the use of coal and increase in the use of natural gas to generate electricity, energy officials say".

"Carbon dioxide emissions from the US’s energy sector fell in 2015 and now stand at 12% below 2005 levels, a drop mainly driven by the continuing collapse of the coal industry.

Americans’ energy consumption resulted in the release of 5.2bn tons of CO2 last year, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), down from 5.4bn tons in 2014. The 12% cut since 2005 has come during a period in which the US economy has, adjusting for inflation, grown by 15%.

About a third of America’s emissions come from energy consumption, with transportation, industrial activity and agriculture also making significant contributions."

Oliver Milman reports for the Guardian May 9, 2016.