Current US Carbon Footprint

For John, BLUF:  Our switch to natural gas is reducing our carbon footprint.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

The InstaPundit links to a little known Michigan policy blog site which declares "U.S. Leads World In Carbon Emissions Reductions".  The economic downturn, market forces, "CAGW" and fracking.♠ The article links to a report from the International Energy Agency, a creature of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).  Here is the boring money quote:

CO2 emissions in the United States in 2011 fell by 92 Mt, or 1.7%, primarily due to ongoing switching from coal to natural gas in power generation and an exceptionally mild winter, which reduced the demand for space heating.  US emissions have now fallen by 430 Mt (7.7%) since 2006, the largest reduction of all countries or regions.  This development has arisen from lower oil use in the transport sector (linked to efficiency improvements, higher oil prices and the economic downturn which has cut vehicle miles travelled) and a substantial shift from coal to gas in the power sector.  CO2 emissions in the EU in 2011 were lower by 69 Mt, or 1.9%, as sluggish economic growth cut industrial production and a relatively warm winter reduced heating needs.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Burying the lede, "Efforts to curb so-called man-made climate change had little or nothing to do with it.  Government mandated "green" energy didn't cause the reductions.  Neither did environmentalist pressure.  And the U.S. did not go along with the Kyoto Protocol to radically cut CO2 emissions."