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Posted On: 12/17/2007

Greenhouse gas data released for Midwest

PlantServices.com

By Plant Services Staff

Comparable data on greenhouse gas emissions among Midwestern states was recently released, giving the region a tool to set priorities and policies on climate change.

The comprehensive breakdown of Midwestern greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (www.wri.org/publication/charting-the-midwest) is found in “Charting the Midwest: An Inventory and Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in America’s Heartland,” a report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) in cooperation with the Lake Michigan Air Director’s Consortium (LADCO).

“To solve any problem, you first need to understand its scope and causes,” says John Larsen, WRI research associate and co-author of the report. “It is clear that whatever path the states in the Midwest choose to take in addressing climate change, the design of policies on a state and regional level requires a good understanding of the region’s emissions profile.”

“Charting the Midwest” breaks down key regional findings, important economic sector findings and GHG details particular to each state, including:

• If the Midwest were its own country, it would rank 5th in GHG emissions, behind the U.S., Russia, China and India.
• The Midwest accounts for nearly 25% of the U.S. emissions and 5% of world emissions.
• Among the sector findings, the report isolates electricity, transportation, industry and agriculture as the largest contributors to the Midwest’s total emissions.
• In sections for each state, data on total emissions, emissions trends, per capita emissions, and emissions as a percentage of the total U.S. contribution are included.

The report, and the cooperation of several state agencies in producing it, complements a recent paper issued by WRI that identified characteristics of state policies that have historically influenced federal policies.