According to new numbers from the International Energy Agency (IEA), greenhouse gas emissions will rise 52% by 2030. The IEA says that the trends lead towards “a future that is not sustainable” and advocates the importance of getting “the earth on a sustainable energy path.” Under current consumption rates, energy demand is expected to increase by 50% during the same period. The increase in emissions would limit the effectiveness of the Kyoto Protocol’s agreement to reach 5% of 1990 emissions levels by 2012 and the demand for more energy, if it is not addressed in a more sustainable manner, will require massive investment to meet demand.
The United States is a member of the IEA despite the fact that the United States quit the Kyoto agreement in 2001 and chooses to ignore the severity of global warming.
