I might add, that the "map" referred to in the original post shows emissions per unit population. There are a helluva lot more people in LA than here in the Valley. So, that probably has more of an effect on why we show "red" and they show "green."

 Actually, you've touched upon a controversial aspect of proposed climate change regs - who gets charged for all the emissions. There is a school of thought that producers of the fuel should be charged from "cradle to grave", e.g., an oil company would be charged with all emissions associated with exploring for oil, drilling and producing the oil, transporting it to refineries, refining it, transporting the fuel, and then even the combustion by its customers.

As for LA, you don't see a lot of heavy, fuel intensive industry there anymore.  The utilities all burn gas or import their electricity from elsewhere. The refineries are still there, but oil production has declined. Heavy oil production, such as what goes on here in the valley, is extremely carbon intensive. They have to generate steam to inject into the ground to move the oil to the surface. Steam generation is accomplished by burning natural gas on site. Most folks don't realize it. Drive out to Taft, Buttonwillow area some day (heck, even Kern River oilfield in Northeast Bako) and you will see what I mean. Steam generators are all over the place, although the numbers have declined with energy efficiencies and production declines.

 Ace:

The gas from those refineries largely heads out of town to be consumed by people elsewhere, no? Maybe that's why Los Angeles is so green — it's externalized the emissions from the production of its gasoline up to here. If you transferred emissions from production of a good to where it's consumed, we'd look a lot better.

 Ace, thanks for the link and the chart info. I've got a question. There is a Merchant Owned sector in the Inventory Chart that has gone from a little over 2.3 metric tonnes to around 28.5 metric tonnes of inventory over 16 years while the Utility owned sector has declined from just over 30 metric tonnes to around 5 metric tonnes over the same period. Do you know what the relationship of these two sectors is? Is it a shift to private usage?

I note that Commercial Industrial inventory of CO2 have jumped significantly from 14.5 metric tons to 22.5 metric tons in a 16 year period. Also as you mentioned, Ace, Transportation and Freight are the two major sectors with severe upward trends throughout the state. Once again, thanks for providing the info, and I'll take your response off-air.

 About 4 to 5 million metric tons (yes, I said million, it's not a typo) of CO2 equivalent emissions comes from Chevron's oilfield operations here in the Valley. I don't know what AERA, ExxonMobile, and all the other little guys make, but, it's directly proportional to their thermally enhanced oil production operations. The San Joaquin Valley is one of the world's largest sources of such operations.

Chevron's refineries alone,  in L.A. and SF Bay Area, contribute another 10 million or so metric tons. The other refineries make similar emissions.

Throw in all of the transportation sector, other fuel combustion sources, transportation (commercial and you and me), and California is doing over 400 million metric tons.

You'd have to turn the entire state into a tropical rain forest to make a CO2 sink big enough for all of that.

Something to think about when you hear people talk about reducing a couple of pounds here and there. Just to keep it all in perspective.

P.S. The amount of pollution blowing into the Valley from other areas is a red herring. Sure there is some, but the overwhelming majority of it is home grown and/or from drive thru emissions on I-5 and Hwy 99.

P.P.S. Here's a link to a 2004 CA inventory - take the numbers with a grain of salt, but, most of it is directly proportional to statewide fuel consumption:

http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/in...

 James, took a look at this earlier and it just looked like a gif.  There is some raw data on the site, but it looks like a bear to convert.  I was flirting with kml a while back and got too busy to pursue it, but I may be able to sweet talk someone into checking it out.

He's just holding his breath.

 Hey! Superman can breathe in space, he don't need no stinkin' oxygen.

It most likely *IS* our emissions.  We're in the top 25 counties (Harris, TX is #1.)

.

And to answer your question, BakerSuper, it has to do with human-caused global warming.  But then, you knew that. 

Bakersfield is the southern most  major city located inside the San Joaquin Valley. Our polluted air drifts from other locales and nestles against the surrounding mountains. Small wonder the map would show high emissions and low population density. It is most likely somebody else's pollution, not farmers, dairy cows, wood-burning fireplaces, oil wells, or any other scapegoat's.

What does it matter if we haae high carbon emissions?