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Urbanites Have Smaller Carbon Footprints
May 30, 2008 06:01 AM
by
Liz Colville
A new report from the Brookings Institution suggests that the impact of ‘Metropolitan America’ on the environment is less than that of its rural counterpart.
30-Second Summary
The report, part of a Brookings Institution-sponsored project called Blueprint for American Prosperity, focuses on America’s “expanding” carbon footprint and the impact of metropolitan dwellers.
The authors concluded that “metro area residents have smaller carbon footprints than the average American,” noting that public transportation and residential density are important contributing factors, as are electricity and weather.
The report encourages the participation of the federal government to help metropolitan areas research climate change, promote public transportation, improve housing efficiency, and more.
Profiling 100 metropolitan areas in the U.S. and calculating the carbon footprints of hundreds of cities and towns based on residential energy use and transportation, the study found the largest carbon footprints to be in the Midwest, South, and Mid-Atlantic areas of the country.
Other recent reports have analyzed carbon footprint variety around the globe and proposed changes that include building more sustainable cities and allowing progress in impoverished countries without drastically increasing those countries’ footprints.
The authors concluded that “metro area residents have smaller carbon footprints than the average American,” noting that public transportation and residential density are important contributing factors, as are electricity and weather.
The report encourages the participation of the federal government to help metropolitan areas research climate change, promote public transportation, improve housing efficiency, and more.
Profiling 100 metropolitan areas in the U.S. and calculating the carbon footprints of hundreds of cities and towns based on residential energy use and transportation, the study found the largest carbon footprints to be in the Midwest, South, and Mid-Atlantic areas of the country.
Other recent reports have analyzed carbon footprint variety around the globe and proposed changes that include building more sustainable cities and allowing progress in impoverished countries without drastically increasing those countries’ footprints.
Headline Links: ‘Shrinking the Carbon Footprint of Metropolitan America’
The authors of the report, published May 21 after two years of extensive research throughout the U.S., declared that “Metropolitan America is poised to play a leadership role in addressing these energy and environmental challenges. However, federal policy actions are needed to achieve the full potential of metropolitan energy and climate solutions.”
Source: The Brookings Institute
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes in its article about the Brookings report that, although the impact of the 100 largest urban areas in the U.S. increased 7.5 percent from 2000 to 2005, this increase was still lower than the national average of 9.1. The same goes for metro areas’ average carbon footprint, which is about 0.4 tons lower than the national average.
Source: The Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Background: Urban vs. rural lifestyles
The debate about urban versus rural lifestyles continues as many Americans trade city life for a rural experience. But many organizations find U.S. cities to be the most promising venues for experiments in sustainability. The Urban Sustainability Initiative in California is making cities “living laboratories” for better urban planning and impact reduction, while Post Carbon Cities focuses on local government preparedness in the face of climate change. And some individuals looking to start a sustainable life in rural areas, like Toby Hemenway, are not finding it.
Source: findingDulcinea
Planning for urban sustainability
A report published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in late 2007 connected urban planning to the effects of climate change. Including natural disasters as one of the most detrimental factors cities face in the fight against climate change, Edward J. Blakely proposes ideas for environmental sustainability through “buildings, street and community design,” observing that “the urban science related to climate change … is still in its early stages.”
Source: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy (free registration required)
Reference: Carbon footprints of U.S. cities and towns
The report provides a PDF supplement of research on the carbon footprints of cities and towns throughout the country, in list and map format. Carbon footprints were calculated as residential energy use, transportation use, and both together.
Source: The Brookings Institute (PDF)
The report’s analysis of 100 metro areas examined highway transportation, including freight transportation, and residential energy. The years profiled are 2000 and 2005, and results note any changes over the five-year period.
Source: The Brookings Institute (PDF)
Related Topics: Comparing nations’ carbon footprints; mass transit use increasing
A 2008 study by the United Nations Development Programme found great disparities in carbon footprints around the world, concluding that the differences “reflect the large ‘carbon debt’ accumulated by rich countries” and are “linked to the history of industrial development.” “The poorest billion people are highly exposed to climate change threats for which they carry negligible responsibility.”
Source: The United Nations Development Programme
As gas prices climb, several U.S. cities are seeing increases in the use of public transportation.
Source: findingDulcinea
© 2009 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
