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Atmospheric CO₂ (Mauna Loa) vs US Annual CO₂ Emissions

Atmospheric CO₂ (Mauna Loa) and US Annual CO₂ Emissions correlate at r = +0.69 over 66 years (1959–2024), p < 0.0001. With the time trend removed, r = -0.88. Direction flips without the trend.

Verdict: Direction flips without the trend. The raw correlation is 0.69, but once each series' time trend is removed it becomes -0.88. The year-to-year movements run the opposite way to the long-run trends, so the headline number is misleading.

Pearson r
+0.69
p-value
< 0.0001
Years compared (n)
66 (1959–2024)
95% confidence interval
0.54 to 0.80
Correlation with the time trend removed
-0.88

Sources

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Correlation does not imply causation. How the verdict is worked out.