Emissions on the upswing -- including in Florida

Carbon dioxide emissions from power plants rose 2.9 percent in 2007, the biggest single-year increase since 1998, according to new data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Emissions of carbon dioxide from the electric power industry have risen 5.9 percent since 2002, and 11.7 percent since 1997.

A report on the EPA data by the Environmental Integrity Project points out that "because CO2 has an atmospheric lifetime of between 50 and 200 years, today’s emissions could cause global warming for up to two centuries to come."

The ten states that emitted the most CO2 in 2007, measured in total tons, are Texas, Ohio, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, and West Virginia. Ranked at No. 3, Florida produced 134,511,485.7 tons of CO2 gases last year, according to the report, and is one of the top 10 states for increases in CO2 emissions over the past 10 years (it's No. 7).

To read the full report, click here.

--Craig Pittman