Monday, May 27, 2024

Statistics don't lie

 Some good news for our environment and economy:

Despite what you might think from listening to much of the political advertising and more than a few media reports, US carbon emissions dropped last year at the same time that the economy grew.


Yes, that’s right! Last year, the US economy grew by 2.5 percent while the total carbon emissions by decreased by 2-3 percent, according to the US Energy Information Administration. US emissions are now down 20 percent from the all-time high in 2007, according to the EIA.

That’s not the only good news. Americans, on their own, are consistently choosing to save money by reducing their own energy costs, whether it is through more efficient lighting, electric cars, better windows, etc. Although per-capita emissions are still at the high end of the global scale, the US has gone from emitting around 20 percent of the global total of CO2 annually in 2000 to less than 12 percent of the global total in 2023.

Thanks Katharine Hayhoe!

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And in other news:

From PBS Newshour May 22, 2024, as resourced from Associated Press


Alcohol is still more widely used, but 2022 was the first time this intensive level of marijuana use overtook high-frequency drinking, said the study’s author, Jonathan Caulkins, a cannabis policy researcher at Carnegie Mellon University.

A good 40 percent of current cannabis users are using it daily or near daily, a pattern that is more associated with tobacco use than typical alcohol use,” Caulkins said.

The research, based on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, was published Wednesday in the journal Addiction. The survey is a highly regarded source of estimates of tobacco, alcohol and drug use in the United States.

In 2022, an estimated 17.7 million people used marijuana daily or near-daily compared to 14.7 million daily or near-daily drinkers, according to the study. From 1992 to 2022, the per capita rate of reporting daily or near-daily marijuana use increased 15-fold.

The trend reflects changes in public policy. Most states now allow medical or recreational marijuana, though it remains illegal at the federal level. In November, Florida voters will decide on a constitutional amendment allowing recreational cannabis, and the federal government is moving to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.






11 comments:

  1. It is nice to hear good news! Happy Memorial Day! Take care, enjoy your day and have a great week!

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  2. That's a bit of good news about the emissions.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, every little bit of good news these days is more than welcome!

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  3. P.S. love the Bigfoot-sign. The smartphone one is sadly really needed...

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    1. Yes...watching out for Bigfoot is almost impossible when being a phone zombie.

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  4. Huh, seems blogger has the hiccups again.... "Also small steps for the planet are good steps!
    Marijuana is still not really legal here and really, I don´t care. Call me old-fashioned, I don´t do drugs.
    But I like beer.
    What I don´t understand here in Germany is... marijuana is a huge debate, but you can buy alcohol, even schnapps in every grocery store, kiosk, gas-station. Beer & sparkling wine is free to buy when you hit age 16, all others from age 18 on." it ate up, luckily I always copy first...

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  5. ...smartphone zombies are taking over the world.

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    1. I spent 3 hours with friends just talking, and munching a bit. Only looked up a couple of things on DuckDuckGo as conversation brought questions to mind. It's sure better than an encyclopedia!

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  6. Hi Barbara, I love the Bigfoot sign! The problem with statistics is that many experts misuse them or only give us half of the picture. The economy is up for example...but so are personal debt levels and the cost of living is out pacing salaries...and certainly the income of the great majority of retirees... Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

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    1. I noticed that the stats of economic growth going up and emissions levels going down didn't say when it was measured. The 2007 level is ridiculous to compare to. If the tax rate on the riches 1% were to increase, there would be a better balance between them and the middle class, which is perhaps the poor middle class these days. Retirees like us never figured the dollar would buy less than a whole candy bar and a loaf of bread would be at least $3-6. I've been against the Trump era lowering of taxes for the very rich ever since it happened.

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  7. That is good news. We've too many HUGE pickup trucks around here for people who don't need it for work!

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There is today, more than ever, the need for a compassionate regenerative world civilization.