Carbon dioxide, methane emissions increase in 2008

April 22 -- Emissions of carbon dioxide and methane -- two of the major greenhouse gases -- increased in 2008 despite a worldwide economic slump, according to a preliminary analysis by the federal government.

Researchers measured an additional 16.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide and an additional 12.2 million tons of methane in the air at the end of 2008, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which released its preliminary findings April 21. NOAA tracks atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gases from 60 sites around the world.

"Only by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and increasing energy production from renewable resources will we start to see improvements and begin to lessen the effects of climate change," said Pieter Tans, a NOAA scientist with the Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo. "We need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the point where they match levels that can be absorbed by Earth´s ecosystems."

The increases in carbon dioxide and methane during 2009 are slightly less than those measured in 2007, according to NOAA experts.

Contact Waste & Recycling News senior reporter Bruce Geiselman at 330-865-6172 or bgeiselman@crain.com