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Household CO2 Emissions Worse in Suburbs

Posted by: Tim Halbur

27 May 2009 - 2:00pm

New maps created by the Center for Neighborhood Technology show that while emissions are greater per acre in cities, they are greater per household in suburbs.

"Transportation accounts for 28 percent of all US greenhouse gases, according to CNT, and I believe it accounts for an even higher portion of carbon dioxide emissions specifically. According to CNT president Scott Bernstein:

"Cities are more location-efficient - meaning key destinations are closer to where people live and work They require less time, money, fuel and greenhouse gas emissions for residents to meet their everyday travel needs. People can walk, bike, car-share, take public transit. So residents of cities and compact communities generate less CO2 per household than people who live in more dispersed communities, like many suburbs and outlying areas.

"If you're deciding where to live, consider moving to an urban area. You'll help fight global warming by emitting less CO2. And you're likely to drive less, so you'll spend less on transportation, saving up to $5,000 annually.""

Full Story: Dramatic new maps of CO2 emissions per household
Source: NRDC Blog, May 27, 2009
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Why Emissions Per Household?

Submitted by Charles Siegel on Thu, 05/28/2009 - 08:55.

It is odd that they calculate emissions per household, since there are probably smaller households in the center of the city than in the suburbs.

It would be more convincing if they calculated emissions per capita, and I am sure they would come up with similar conclusions, since it is very obvious that people in denser areas drive less.

Charles Siegel

Huffington Post on CNT's new maps on GHG emissions & suburbs

Submitted by Irvin Dawid on Wed, 05/27/2009 - 14:45.

Dramatic New Maps Show the Geography of US Carbon Emissions:

"The maps demonstrate vividly that, although emissions on a per-acre basis are greatest in highly urban areas, it is in the suburbs and outlying areas where we pollute the most on a per-household basis. This is because rates of driving are so much higher in spread-out suburbia than in places where homes, jobs, shops, and services are in more convenient proximity to each other."
Irvin Dawid, Palo Alto, CA

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