Wyoming's total carbon emissions are on the rise, even as the state's per-capita emissions have fallen.
Wyoming’s falling per-capita emissions followed the national trend from 2005 to 2013. Forty-eight states’ per-capita emissions fell, while just three rose, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Even so, Wyoming’s per capita emissions are still seven times higher than the national average. In 2013, each Wyomingite contributed 117 metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. The national average was 17.
When it comes to overall emissions, Wyoming falls in the middle of the pack, between South Carolina and Arkansas, but the state’s total emissions are on the rise. They climbed nearly 8 percent from 2005 to 2013.
World leaders will meet in Paris next week to discuss climate change and how to curb carbon emissions.