A study called the Global Carbon Budget had tested to see how much carbon dioxide is in the air in 2018 compared to previous years. In 2017, emissions totaled to around 9.9 billion metric tons or gigatons.

From 2014 to 2016, the emissions rose, however, slowly. 2018 provides evidence of two years of a very high increase in carbon dioxide.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, and these gases act like a blanket around Earth. These gases trap the sun’s heat close to the surface; therefore, the more emitted carbon dioxide, the more heat that is trapped.

The United States, globally, is the largest carbon dioxide emitter. In 2017, the U.S. released 4.4 metric tons per person. Europe, on the other hand, only released half of that. In 2018, the U.S. released 2.5% more.

Unfortunately, those statistics include the United States using more renewable resources such as wind and solar power. Renewable resources such as these do not emit greenhouse gases.

With an increase in renewable resources, the United States would decrease the emission of carbon dioxide.