Michigan stands out positively on greenhouse gases
A report out today by a non-partisan environmental think tank suggests Michigan has something to teach other Midwest states about getting a handle on greenhouse emissions.
Between 1990 and 2003, Michigan's greenhouse gas emissions grew by 1 percent, according to the World Resources Institute. "This growth rate was significantly slower relative to both the region (15 percent growth rate) and the nation (16 percent growth rate) during this period, and was the slowest among all eight Midwest states," the report says.
At least one factor for Michigan's comparatively better performance on greenhouse gases is its higher reliance on electricity-generation from nuclear sources and natural gas, the report suggests. Michigan also saw a larger-than-average decline -- a whopping 27 percent -- in emissions from the industrial sector, which the report's authors tied to "efficiency improvements."
On the other hand, Michigan is the fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the Midwest, the report says, and the ninth largest in the country.
