Cuyahoga County & Ohio Rank Fourth Highest in CO2 Emissions in the Nation
Researchers now have a better view of where carbon dioxide is being emitted thanks to Vulcan, a research project led by Kevin Gurney, an assistant professor at Purdue University. This map shows where carbon dioxide is being emitted in the continental U.S. by combining data from sources including factories, automobiles on highways and power plants. (Purdue University image/Kevin Gurney) Click for Larger Map
Ohio was fourth highest among states in carbon dioxide emissions while Cuyahoga County ranked fourth among the nation’s counties, according to recent separate reports. The U.S. with four percent of the Earth’s population, produces about 25 percent of global CO2 emissions, according to the Energy Information Administration (www.eia.doe.gov). Ohio gets nearly 90 percent—and the nation about 50 percent—of its electric power from coal-fired power plants, a major source of CO2 emissions.
To take responsibility for their imposing role in causing global warming, corporate leaders, government officials and citizens can embrace cleaner energy sources, implement energy efficiency standards and curtail energy use. The energy choices we make today will have a significant impact on the future of our economy, and health of our planet and its inhabitants. This shift toward a sustainable future is possible, but to get there the nation should:
- shift taxpayer subsidies away from the fossil fuel industry and invest in renewable energy sources; (it is time to level the playing field and start figuring in the true costs of coal when comparing energy sources);
- stop the construction of all new coal plants;
- support our local farmers, turn vacant land into organic vegetable gardens and eat a more plant-based diet;
- mandate that all construction projects, commercial and residential, are carbon neutral;
- support local carbon offset programs that keep the money in our community;
- revamp our transportation system, embrace clean methods for commuting and support bike-friendly infrastructure;
- generate quality "green jobs" and provide training for lower-income urban communities; and
- encourage our elected officials to implement strong environmental policies that promote sustainability.
We can build a just and sustainable world, but we need to be willing to restructure our society to a less materialistic, more locally based way of life that promotes a sustainable future for all.