World's list of top five CO2 emitters changes.
The world’s carbon dioxide emissions have escalated 38 percent since 1992, climbing from 6.1 billion tons in 1992 to 8.5 billion tons last year, according to DOE’s Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, located at Oak Ridge National Labs. In 1992, the United States headed the list of the world’s top five CO2 emitters. The rest of the list included (in order of CO2 emissions) China, Russia, Japan and India, reports CDIAC’s Gregg Marland. “The source of emissions has shifted dramatically,” Marland now says, noting that increased manufacturing and rising energy demands in developing countries – particularly in China and India – have caused the list to be reordered since 1992. According to Marland, China moved to the top of the list in 2006, dropping the U.S. to second place. He says India surpassed Japan for fourth place in 2002 and, by the end of 2008, is expected to take over third place from Russia. This leaves the Soviets in fourth place, with Japan trailing at number five. Unfortunately, the CO2 emissions race is one competition no nation wants to win.