Video Animations of U.S. Carbon Dioxide Pollution
Great bit of info at the Green Guide today.
According to this post, the precise sources of carbon dioxide emissions have now been mapped, with “100 times more detail than was previously available”. The work was done by Vulcan project researchers at Purdue University.
The high-resolution, interactive maps combine carbon dioxide emissions data from power plants, factories and vehicles. The maps and movies compare the relative contribution of pollution from various parts of the country on an hourly basis.
Some of the most amazing information has to do with the geographical and political aspects of the findings:
The maps also highlight an important political reality: While states in the Northeast, upper Midwest and West have agreed to state-level compacts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the nation’s pollution won’t be significantly cut until the South joins in.
Depending on the estimate, the U.S. is the world’s biggest, or second-biggest (next to China) producer of greenhouse gas emissions; it produces 25% of the world’s carbon dioxide pollution, the key ingredient in atmospheric change fueling global warming.
To see the videos, go here. Also, visit the Vulcan Project here to look up data for your county and state.
