HomeMy WebLinkAboutGreenhouse Gas Progress Report 4 21 2016 - FINALPrepared by the City of Iowa City
Office of Sustainability Services
Fall 2015
For more information, contact Brenda Nations,
City of Iowa City Sustainability Coordinator
319-887-6161 or brenda-nations@iowa-city.org
Greenhouse Gas Update
Iowa City’s community data
Includes all greenhouse gas emissions from activities within City limits
The City of Iowa City Office of Sustainability Services issues this report to up-
date residents on the success of its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Community emissions have been tracked annually since 2008. The City Council
has identified sustainability as an important goal in its most recent strategic
plan, and is committed to improving our quality of life through sustainability
practices.
What is greenhouse gas?
A greenhouse gas is a gas that absorbs infra-
red radiation, thereby trapping heat in the
Earth’s atmosphere and contributing to the
greenhouse effect, which ultimately leads
to global warming. A couple of examples are
carbon dioxide and methane, among others.
CO2e refers to carbon dioxide equivalent,
which is the standardized unit which in-
cludes each different greenhouse gas that
would create the same amount of warming
to the atmosphere.
What are the sources
of greenhouse gases?
The most abundant greenhouse gas is car-
bon dioxide (C02), and while there are
natural occurrences that emit CO2, 87% of
all carbon dioxide released into the atmo-
sphere comes from humans burning fossil
fuels. Greenhouse gases are also emitted
into the atmosphere as a result of human
activities but also through animal and plant
respiration. By burning fossil fuels, cutting
down forests, the upkeep of livestock, and
various industrial processes, humans put
harmful gases into the atmosphere. (What-
sYourImpact.org).
Why it’s a concern
From the time the Industrial Revolution be-
gan, greenhouse gases have been increas-
ing, and most of the increase has occurred
in the past 50 years. Because of global
warming, 2015 was the warmest year on
record. Eleven of the hottest years have oc-
curred since 1998. If these trends continue,
scientists, government officials and oth-
ers believe that the worst effects of global
warming – extreme weather, rising sea lev-
els, plant and animal extinctions, ocean
acidification, major shifts in climate, and
unprecedented social upheaval – will be in-
evitable.
2000 CO2e in metric tonnes: 1,329,144
2013 CO2e in metric tonnes: 1,298,620
Community summary
From the years 2000 to 2013, Iowa City decreased annual emissions by
30,524 metric tonnes, the equivalent annual emissions of 6,426 passenger
vehicles, or 2,785 homes. Emissions for this period have remained at or below
baseline levels, except for 2008, an abnormal year due to flooding. The larg-
est contributors to emissions remain the industrial and commercial sectors, con-
tributing 30% and 23.9% respectively. During this period the city has added
roughly 9,000 new citizens for a population growth of 15%. The two main
power providers for Iowa City residents, MidAmerican and the UI Power Plant
continued on back
Iowa City Community CO2e Totals by Sector
have both made strides in decreas-
ing their emissions. MidAmerican has
expanded their wind power so that
in 2014 wind energy accounted for
37% of generation. In addition, the
city has collaborated with the Uni-
versity of Iowa to obtain information
about their power plant, which con-
tinues to burn oat hulls and is in the
Community summary
continued from front
Carbon Dioxide Emissions Per Capita
Per capita data
Breakdown of greenhouse gas emissions per capita
• The effects of global warm-
ing due to greenhouse gases
(extreme weather, migra-
tion, increased flooding, and
disease) are now widely ac-
cepted scientifically.
• The effects of climate change
can be felt locally in years
of flooding or drought. The
flood of 2008 is an example
of this. In addition, the years
of 2001 and 2013 experi-
enced a flood and a drought
in the same year.
• Researchers and scientists at
process of implementing a biomass
fuels project in order to reach 40%
renewable energy by the year 2020.
Iowa City was proud to be the first
city in Iowa to complete a community
wide greenhouse gas inventory. Iowa
City is the only city in Iowa to have
six continuous years of emissions data
and hopes to use this information to
inform the public on local progress.
• Iowa City per capita greenhouse
gas emissions is 18.1 as of 2013
• Average per capita greenhouse
gas emissions in U.S. is 21 metric
tonnes as of 2013.
• Sustainable level of greenhouse
gas emissions is approximately 2
metric tonne per capita
• CO2 emissions per capita have
decreased 3.3 tonnes since 2000
Importance of moving forward
• America’s 2015 Clean Power Plan
calls for 32% reductions in CO2 below 2005 levels by 2030, with
action plans to be determined by
states.
• Iowa City has been working
with climatologists to predict
the impacts of climate change
specific to our area. These in-
clude warmer temperatures,
specifically higher nighttime
temperatures, increased pre-
cipitation, increased humidity,
and more flat line winds.
• In order to decrease per cap-
ita CO2 emissions from our
current level of 18.1 tonnes
to the sustainable 2 tonnes,
continued efforts will be es-
sential.
For more information, contact Brenda Nations,
City of Iowa City Sustainability Coordinator,
at 319-887-6161 or brenda-nations@iowa-city.org
Next steps
In February 2016, Iowa City Mayor
Jim Throgmorton signed the Compact
of Mayors to demonstrate the City’s
commitment toward reducing local
greenhouse gas emissions, measur-
ing community emissions, and setting
data-based targets for the future.
The City will also work to address the
impacts of climate change, identify
climate hazards, assess vulnerability,
and develop a climate adaptation
plan. The Compact has four stages
that will take place over three years.
39 Iowa colleges and universities
have gathered 188 signatures on
a statement warning that the ef-
fects of climate change are ex-
pected to increase.
Iowa City Community CO2e Totals by Sector
CO2e (in metric tonnes) by Sector