Move to the city and reduce your carbon footprint by 70%
Fri, Jun 12 2009 at 12:23 PM EST
Read more: ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION, CARBON FOOTPRINT
Photo: CNT If you’re working to reduce your carbon footprint and live in a rural or suburban area, perhaps you should consider moving to the city. It could reduce your transportation carbon emissions by 70 percent, according to data recently added to Chicago-based Center for Neighborhood Technology's Housing and Transportation Affordability Index.
"Cities are more location-efficient – meaning key destinations are closer to where people live and work,” said Scott Bernstein, CNT’s president. “They require less time, money, fuel and greenhouse gas emissions for residents to meet their everyday travel needs ... so residents of cities and compact communities generate less CO2 per household than people who live in more dispersed communities, like many suburbs."
The CNT has created maps of 55 U.S. metropolitan areas including Chicago, New York, Seattle, San Francisco and Atlanta, showing the amount of CO2 emitted per household from transportation. Households in urban centers generate roughly 0 to 5.1 metric tons, while rural households generate 8.6 metric tons and up.
The main reason for this is the availability of public transit as well as the walkability and bike-friendliness of neighborhoods. Living in the city, you’re far less likely to get into a car every time you need to run to the store for some milk or take your kids to the park. In rural areas, residents often have no choice.
Of course, your overall carbon footprint is made up of a lot more than just transportation. Other things that can play into the amount of carbon emissions your lifestyle emits including housing and your eating and shopping habits. You can calculate your carbon footprint with the easy-to-use calculator at CarbonFootprint.com.
Want more? Check out our cars section.
Link
EMAIL
Stumble
Tweet
Comments(2)
Posted By Christoph Wuth - Wed, Jun 17 2009 at 5:48 PM ESTOverpopulation
As urban areas become larger due to overpopulation, carbon emissions increase (more goods such as food, clothing, consumer items have to be brought into the stores. As a farmer, I used to move around on foot or bicycle, reused empty bottles, produced compost, used wind and solar power. City dwellers definitely leave behind a larger carbon footprint!
but urban intensity depends on
food production and importation from rural areas. rooftop gardens are important to help people remember how food grows and to add green spaces, but won't feed cities. And you can't have farmers living alone in the middle of hundreds of acres--they need communities too. So I'm more than happy to do my part conserving resources in the city (and gardening in my back yard) and be thankful that there are others with the patience and wherewithall to grow enough food for me and my neighbors.
Also, in.... More