# US Vehicle Fleet's Contributions to Global Warming **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 2, 2007, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-vehicle-fleets-contributions-to-global-warming/428543 "2007-12-02T10:36:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2007, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-vehicle-fleets-contributions-to-global-warming/428543/1 "2007-12-02T10:36:11Z")
I’m trying to hash out a rather important proposal, and in going through my notes for it, I have that the US vehicle fleet produces some 3-5% of the total _global_ greenhouse gases and that the transportation sector as a whole produces 8% of global GHG emissions, but, and this is the key part: I didn’t write down where I found that information! In Googling, all I’ve been able to pull up is the percentage of **US** GHG emissions which are produced by cars. I need a reputable (and by “reputable” I mean government or well respected environmental group) cite for this. Can anyone point me to one, since my google-fu is lacking? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2007, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-vehicle-fleets-contributions-to-global-warming/428543/2 "2007-12-03T20:59:39Z")
Anyone? Anyone? Beullllllllllller? ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2007, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-vehicle-fleets-contributions-to-global-warming/428543/3 "2007-12-03T21:12:48Z")
If you know the percentage of US GHGs the auto fleet contributes, and you know the percentage the US contributes globally, can you extrapolate? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-vehicle-fleets-contributions-to-global-warming/428543/4 "2007-12-03T21:16:47Z")
I find [NOAA](http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/aggi/) is usually a good online source for information like that you are looking for. You might want to search through their pages. Otherwise, several issues in Scientific America have dealt with this in the last few years. You might want to Email or PM **jshore** , there is a good chance he can point you in the right direction. Jim ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2007, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-vehicle-fleets-contributions-to-global-warming/428543/5 "2007-12-03T21:24:03Z")
I missed the edit window: Try this EPA PDF: [Climate Change | US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads06/07Energy.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![aptronym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47774/32.png) [@aptronym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aptronym)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-vehicle-fleets-contributions-to-global-warming/428543/6 "2007-12-04T00:36:00Z")
The Department of Energy also makes such estimations. [http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/pdf/aeotab\_18.pdf](http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/pdf/aeotab_18.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-vehicle-fleets-contributions-to-global-warming/428543/7 "2007-12-04T10:47:28Z")
[QUOTE=Santo Rugger] If you know the percentage of US GHGs the auto fleet contributes, and you know the percentage the US contributes globally, can you extrapolate? [/QUOTE] Probably, but I’ve got a pretty tight page limit and if I show my work like that, then that will eat into the space I need for the real meat of the matter. I’ll take a gander at the linked PDFs to see if they have the info.