Laserfiche WebLink
According to the US EPA: <br />The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is <br />produced from burning a fuel weighs more <br />than the amount of the fuel itself, because <br />during complete combustion, each carbon <br />atom in the fuel combines with two oxygen <br />atoms in the air to make CO2. The addition <br />of two oxygen atoms to each carbon atom <br />forms CO2, which has an atomic weight of <br />44—roughly 3.6667 times the atomic weight <br />of the carbon, which is 12. <br />How can GHG <br />emissions weigh more <br />than the fuel we burn <br />Elk River GHG Baseline Inventory <br />6 <br />Opportunities for Reduction <br />Recommendations from Greenstep Cities offer a range of best practice concepts which <br />can greatly reduce municipal fleet fuel consumption when implemented and reviewed <br />regularly for continued advancement. Best practices which the City of Elk River may be <br />able to leverage for continued fuel efficiency include: <br />Efficiently use existing fleet of city vehicles by encouraging trip bundling, video <br />conferencing, carpooling, vehicle sharing and incentives/technology. <br />No-Idling practices and policies <br />Vehicle replacement plan to migrate to electric and hybrid vehicles. <br />Optimize street maintenance and snow plowing routes for highest fuel economy. <br />Explore Efficiency Programs focused on diesel engine retrofits, installation of <br />auxiliary power units <br />Conduct a Sidewalk and Trails study to identify opportunities to encourage and <br />increase biking and walking as transit options both for city employees as well as the <br />public. <br />How do City Vehicles contribute to Greenhouse Gas Emissions? <br />Fossil Fuels used in transportation produce GHG when burned, primarily CO2. In fact, the <br />weight of CO2 produced actually exceeds the weight of the fuel burned. The amount of GHG <br />produced by common vehicle fuels ranges from 19.4 pounds per gallon for gasoline to 22.5 <br />pounds for diesel. <br />Nationally, Americans drive over 3 trillion miles annually, producing 1.2 billion Metric Tonnes of <br />vehicle related GHG emissions.* <br />*For more information:http://www.bluedotregister.org/carbon-copy/2014/12/11/a-mountain-of-an-impact-the-carbon-footprint-of- <br />american-roads <br />City Operations <br />City Vehicles <br />Annual Greenhouse Gas equal to: <br />14,499,678 <br />Cubic Feet of <br />Man-Made <br />Atmosphere <br />744.08 <br />Metric Tonnes <br />Summary of Findings* <br />The City of Elk River owns and operates vehicles as a critical support to functions in Police, Fire, <br />Public Works, Streets, Parks, Waste Water, and City Administration functions. During the 2015 <br />Baseline year, the City’s vehicle fleet used 53,691 gallons of gasoline and 79,872 gallons of <br />diesel fuel. The emissions volume associated with the fleet’s fuel consumption totaled 744.08 <br />Metric Tonnes (1,640,414 pounds) CO2e, approximately 0.60% of community wide vehicle <br />emissions.** <br />* Sources: City of Elk River data, emission factors based on US EPA and EIA. <br />**Based on Regional Indicators Initiative data. <br />Operations of City of Elk River vehicles <br />generates a volume of greenhouse gas that <br />would cover municipal streets to a depth of: <br />(Figure to scale against typical public works snow plow) <br />Municipal streets within the City of <br />Elk River total253 12’ <br />12.56% <br />City Operations <br />Total <br />Lane Miles