Still have a long way to go

The good news is that living in an urban environment rather than a suburban one does cut our per capita (per person) output of carbon dioxide (the gas that contributes to Global Warming).

The bad news is that Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana are the top states for per capita output.

According to a recent CNN article on the subject:

Cities in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana dominated the bottom tier of high carbon emitters.

These urban areas are “kind of a poster child of what high carbon intensive growth looks like,” said Brown. She noted their reliance on coal for electricity and natural gas for heating, a shortage of mass transit, and often older, energy-inefficient buildings.

The positive note here is that they identified 3 areas where Cincinnati citizens can begin to focus on making it better here. Not only do these things make it less healthy and contribute to global warming, but these are also the things that cost us more money in our daily lives.

Let’s fix our issues by looking at the 3 areas of improvement we should all focus on:

1. Encourage alternative sources of energy such as wind and solar
2. Support and use mass transit - buses, streetcars, commuter trains, etc.
3. Put our household renovation money towards better energy efficiency rather than cosmetic changes

These are investments that will repay you in lower transportation costs and energy bills. Not to mention they guarantee that young Cincinnatians will stay here and continue to build their own families here rather than leave for areas of the country that are doing these things better than us. You know that will make grandma happy.