USAFacts Launches Third Annual State of the Earth Report, Putting A Data-Driven Spotlight On America's Energy, Climate & Environment

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Apr 20, 2022, 14:38 ET

As the world prepares to celebrate Earth Day, this year's report uncovers that 2021 energy-related carbon dioxide emissions were more than 6% higher than 2020.

BELLEVUE, Wash., April 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- USAFacts, a not-for-profit, nonpartisan civic initiative committed to making government data easy to access and understand, today launched its third annual State of the Earth report. In the lead up to Earth Day, the organization analyzed metrics from government agencies responsible for measuring the nation's air, land conservation, and energy production to provide Americans with a fact-based snapshot of changes in land, energy, and air through the years.

"Earth Day is an opportunity to reflect on the health of our environment. To deliver on our mission to empower Americans with the facts, USAFacts has pulled together government data to create a comprehensive picture of the state of our environment, by the numbers," said Poppy MacDonald, president of USAFacts. "Our State of the Earth report can help Americans assess the health of our natural resources. They can then determine what changes they'd like to see from local and national policymakers — and what they can do in our daily lives to preserve the planet for future generations."

The 2022 State of the Earth report touches on environmental numbers from organizations including the Environmental Protection Agency, the US National Park Service, and USDA Forest Service Forest/Wildlife from 1895 to 2021. Key insights from the report include:

Energy Consumption: Coal provides a decreasing share of US energy, from about 20% of energy consumption in 1980 to about 11% in 2021. Natural gas, which produces half as much carbon dioxide per unit of energy as coal, is a growing fossil fuel energy source, about 32% of US energy consumption in 2021.
Climate Patterns: 2021 was the sixth-warmest year on record. All states, and especially in the Northeast and upper Midwest, were warmer in 2021 than the 20th century average.
Federal Land Extraction Revenue: The federal government collected $11.3 billion in revenue from energy and mineral extraction on its lands and waters in 2021, a 19% decrease from 2011, after adjusting for inflation.
The National Park Service: There were 297 million visits to land managed by the National Park Service in 2021 (including national parks, historical sites, and national monuments), 25% greater than in 2020.
Policymaking: Combining bills that became public law, executive orders and presidential memoranda, and significant rulemaking by executive agencies, there were 81 federal actions on land, energy, and the environment in 2021.

This year's State of the Earth report is the latest example of how USAFacts is using data to empower people to better understand the changes in the United States how they affect their lives. It follows the recent launch of an interactive climate tool, which showcases facts on localized climate fluctuations and the historical frequency of severe weather. With the tool, readers can track if temperature, precipitation, or a combination of both is within or outside of historical monthly averages dating back to 1895. They can explore how their weather has shifted over time and learn/analyze climate trends to see which states, counties, and demographics are most affected.

Throughout the year, USAFacts publishes a series of data-driven reports, including the recently released 2022 Government 10-K and State of the Union in Numbers, to give people a clear, unbiased snapshot of issues impacting their lives. To learn more about the organization visit USAFacts.org.

About USAFacts
USAFacts is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan civic initiative making government data easy for all Americans to access and understand. USAFacts provides engaging visuals on data and trends in US spending, revenue, demographics, and policy outcomes to help Americans ground public debate in facts. It produces topical content throughout the year and has produced annual reports and 10-Ks on the nation. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @USAFacts, and sign up for the data-driven newsletter at USAFacts.org.

Contact
Monique Dinor, Vice President, Media
Lippe Taylor
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SOURCE USAFacts