Global warming pollution in New Mexico increased by 11% between 1990 and 2004, according to The Carbon Boom, a new analysis of state fossil fuel consumption data released today by Environment New Mexico Research and Policy Center. This is the first time that 2004 state-by-state data on carbon dioxide emissions have been released.
“Given the risks from global warming, it’s incredibly important for New Mexico to adopt the solution’s to global warming that are currently available so we can start to see a decrease in our global warming pollution instead of an increase,” said Jeanne Bassett, Executive Director of Environment New Mexico Research and Policy Center.
Environment New Mexico Research and Policy Center’s report comes less than a week after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a U.N. body charged with assessing the scientific record on global warming, released its consensus report on the current and projected impacts of global warming. The report warned of increasing droughts, floods, heat waves, water stress, forest fires and coastal flooding in the United States but concluded that “many impacts can be avoided, reduced or delayed” by quickly and significantly reducing global warming pollution.
“Global warming pollution is skyrocketing just as scientists are sounding alarms that we must rapidly reduce pollution to protect future generations. This report is a wake-up call to cap pollution levels now before it is too late,” said Bassett.
Using data compiled by the U.S. Department of Energy, Environment New Mexico’s new report examines trends in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel consumption between 1990 and 2004, the most recent year for which state-by-state data are available.
Major findings of the report include:
New Mexico’s carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel consumption grew from 52 million metric tons to 58 million metric tons between 1990 and 2004, an increase of 11%.
Nationwide, emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel consumption increased by 18% between 1990 and 2004. Coal-fired power plants and the transportation sector—especially cars and SUVs—drove this emissions increase.
In New Mexico, carbon dioxide emissions from burning gasoline increased by 23% between 1990 and 2004, rising from 6.6 million metric tons to 8.1 million metric tons. Between 1990 and 2004, vehicle miles traveled in New Mexico increased by 48%, while cars and SUVs became less efficient.
“The good news is that we have the technology at our fingertips to cut global warming pollution and forge a cleaner, more secure energy future,” said Bassett.
The United States could substantially reduce its global warming pollution by using existing technologies to make power plants, businesses, homes and cars more efficient and by increasing the use of clean, renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power.
The Safe Climate Act (H.R. 1590), introduced by Representative Henry Waxman (CA) and the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (S. 309), introduced by Senators Barbara Boxer (CA) and Bernie Sanders (VT), would limit global warming pollution to levels that current science says are needed to prevent the worst effects of global warming. The bills would freeze U.S. global warming emissions in 2010 and reduce emissions by about 15% by 2020 and by 80% by 2050.
“To protect future generations, our leaders must take decisive action to cut global warming pollution. Environment New Mexico calls on Senators Bingaman and Domenici to co-sponsor the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act, the only bill that does what scientists say we need to do - set specific national reduction targets for global warming pollution,” concluded Bassett.
