We sure do love keeping tabs on the EPA, especially when the public has a chance to get involved in its work, like commenting on an agency sea level rise report or debating the finer points of heroin use on the deputy administrator’s blog.

Last week, the agency released the draft of its annual greenhouse gas emissions report, and of course it wants to hear your thoughts on the 453-page document.

Believe it or not, the draft report states that we as a nation emitted less greenhouse gases in 2006 than 2005. It was still equivalent to some 7.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide, but hey, it’s a start.

This fits in nicely to the Bush administration’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas intensity by 18 percent by 2012 (though we’re pretty sure they won’t be administrating then). Just in case you’re not sure what greenhouse gas intensity is, the EPA defines it as “the ratio of greenhouse gas emissions to economic output.” Good to know they’re keeping things in perspective.

Maybe all this means the economy is on the rebound.