IIRC, the drop in CO2 was mainly due to using more natural gas.
Using less coal. Shutting down coal plants.
Using less gasoline when the price of gas was around $9/gallon.
Outsourcing manufacturing. Less industry, less commuting to fewer jobs.
Declining real wages means less travel and less consumer confidence means less spending on travel and less spending period.
All of this can be linked to oppressive government.
The United States was the greatest consumer of energy and natural resources for over a century for primarily one reason. The US had the freest economy and the most business friendly government in the world. That is no longer true.
The US also had the most productive workers in the world. That may no longer be true either. ObamaCare reduced the work week to 32 hours per week that has to put a damper on productivity.