David Klein
Moderator
Between 2008 and 2015, the United States was able to reduce carbon emissions with limited economic growth. Obama pointed to this as evidence that (green) capitalism can work. But MIT professor emeritus of chemistry, John Deutch describes a technical article he wrote about that in the following way:
"My article says that the reason that happened is two-fold: first, the economic growth was really quite modest during that period; and second, there was an unusual shift in the carbon intensity -- carbon per unit of energy used by the US economy -- because of the unusual shift during that period from coal electricity generation and natural-gas electricity generation. So there was a shift in carbon intensity that was responsible for the favorable experience the country had, but it relied on that one-time shift and on the fact the energy growth was more limited."
DK
Here is the reference:
Science News
from research organizations
Realistic projections of economic growth and carbon emissions
Realistic projections of economic growth and carbon emissions
"My article says that the reason that happened is two-fold: first, the economic growth was really quite modest during that period; and second, there was an unusual shift in the carbon intensity -- carbon per unit of energy used by the US economy -- because of the unusual shift during that period from coal electricity generation and natural-gas electricity generation. So there was a shift in carbon intensity that was responsible for the favorable experience the country had, but it relied on that one-time shift and on the fact the energy growth was more limited."
DK
Here is the reference:
Science News
from research organizations
Realistic projections of economic growth and carbon emissions
Realistic projections of economic growth and carbon emissions