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Study estimates California’s GHG reductions since 2003 could be wiped out by 2020 wildfires

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In an open-access report in the journal Environmental Pollution , researchers from UCLA and the University of Chicago estimate that California’s wildfire carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 e) emissions from 2020 (~127 mmt CO 2 e ) are approximately two times higher than California’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions since 2003.

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Gasoline consumption per capita in 2020 was on par with that in 1965

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Because of the pandemic, there was a substantial reduction in 2020 in vehicle miles traveled. The biggest drop was in April 2020 (a reduction of 40% compared with April 2019) followed by a gradual rebound later in the year. In December 2020, the reduction was 11% compared with December 2019. Total consumption.

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US motorcoach industry closures surge in 2020

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The data collected by FMCSA shows a surge in losses of authority for motorcoach operators in 2020, which means these companies are no longer providing transportation—in some cases forever. Nearly 72% of these losses of authority occurred between April and August 2020, during the height of the pandemic.

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EIA: US coal exports increased 23% between 2020 and 2021

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In 2021, coal exports from the United States increased by 23% to 85 million metric short tons (MMst) from 69 MMst in 2020, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). A trade dispute between Australia and China that began in late 2020 resulted in China banning coal imported from Australia.

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US biodiesel plant production capacity dropped 2% in 2020

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The US Energy Information Administration released its annual US Biodiesel Plant Production Capacity report, containing data for all operating US biodiesel plants as of 1 January 2020. The data show a slight decrease in production capacity from 2,563 million gallons per year in 2019 to 2,514 million gallons per year in 2020—a drop of 2%.

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DOE: light-duty plug-in electrified vehicle sales in US nearly doubled from 2020 to 2021

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Sales of new light-duty plug-in electric vehicles, including all-electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), nearly doubled from 308,000 in 2020 to 608,000 in 2021, according to data gathered by the US Department of Energy (DOE). EV sales accounted for 73% of all plug-in electric vehicle sales in 2021.

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DOE: US net petroleum imports negative for 2020

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In 2020, net petroleum imports (total imports minus exports) were negative for the first time since the US Energy Information Administration began tracking them—i.e., the United States exported more petroleum than it imported. This includes crude oil and petroleum products. Net imports peaked in 2005 at 12.5 million barrels per day.

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