The City of Cincinnati has established a Climate Protection Steering Committee (PDF 48kb) to help the City figure out how it can be more environmentally responsible and to examine the City’s Climate Action Plan.
Study results have shown that Cincinnati has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions since 2000, and is 6% more carbon efficient than the national average. That’s great, but more can be done…MUCH more.
The newly established Committee has recommended that Cincinnati:
“…reduce its GHG emissions by 10% by 2012 (short term goal); 40% by 2027 (mid term goal); and 86% by 2050 (long term goal).”
This long-term goal also falls in line with what most scientists consider the necessary reduction (80% by 2050) in order to stabilize the planet’s climate at a “tolerable level.” So how do we accomplish this…well the second highest source of GHG emissions, in Cincinnati, is transportation. At the same time Cincinnati has no rail transit
alternative for local/regional commuting patterns. It seems that it might be about time to start looking into such alternatives.
External Links:
Ohio Hub Plan (regional rail)
Cincinnati Lightrail
Cincinnati Streetcar
Graph Credit:
United States Environmental Protection Agency
