emissions drop, he said/she said

For some light reading, here's a brief from the NY Times' Andy Revkin on U.S. emissions.

Emissions of carbon dioxide from fuel burned in the United States dropped 1.3 percent in 2006 compared with an all-time peak reached the year before, according to preliminary data from the Energy Department. The United States remains the leading source of the carbon dioxide, the main emission linked to global warming. The White House quickly hailed the downturn, even in the face of economic growth, as evidence that President Bush’s policies for slowing growth in emissions without a mandatory cap were working. Some scientists and private environmental groups noted that the cause, according to the government, was mainly moderate weather and high prices for oil, natural gas and electricity. Over all, emissions were up 17.9 percent since 1990.