Warm air

Copenhagen

Europe’s greenhouse-gas emissions rose last year despite efforts to abide by the Kyoto Protocol, the European Environment Agency said this week. The Copenhagen-based group blamed the rise on an increase in coal burning to generate electricity. The largest hikes in emissions from electricity and heat production were in Britain (up 10 million tons), Finland (up 7 million tons), and Germany (up nearly 6 million tons). The Kyoto Protocol requires E.U. countries to reduce total emissions by 8 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. “Europe will most likely not meet its obligation to limit dangerous climate change,” said Friends of the Earth Europe spokesman Jan Kowalzig.

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