Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Don’t let the Green Grass Fool You – Part II

The “Shrinking Carbon Footprint of Metropolitan America,” (Click Here for the Full Report) by the Brookings Institution discusses the problems created by America’s growing carbon footprint. Says the report, “…Americans are driving more, building more, consuming more energy, and emitting more carbon. Rising energy prices, growing dependence on imported fuels, and accelerating global climate change make the nation’s growth patterns unsustainable…Metropolitan America is poised to play a leadership role in addressing these energy and environmental challenges.” The report also provides the carbon profile of 100 metropolitan areas. Interestingly, Lancaster City is one of those areas (See page 46). In the lineup, Lancaster comes in 29th (1 being the lowest output and 100 being the highest). The profile also breaks down the sources of carbon output. The findings? Lancaster comes in 2nd on auto emissions. Essentially, Lancastrians are getting out of their cars and walking. At number one, the only city with a lower auto emissions output is, population dense, New York.

No comments: