Greenhouse gases trap heat from the sun and warm the planet's surface. Of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, 87% are related to energy consumption. Since 1990, greenhouse gas emissions in the United States have grown by about 1% per year. In 2005, about 21% of the world's total energy-related carbon dioxide was emitted by the United States.
Because greenhouse gases trap radiation (heat) from the sun and warm the planet's surface, a certain amount of these gases is beneficial (see "Did You Know?"). But as concentrations of these gases increase due to human activity, more warming occurs than would happen naturally. In 2006, about 7.1 billion metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) of greenhouse gases were emitted by the United States.1 Other countries with significant emissions include China, the countries of Europe, Russia, and Japan.
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