Home Energy: 2.1 metric tons CO2e[2]
- Electricity: 890kWh/month or 10681kWh/year = 10681 pounds CO2e/year
- Natural Gas: 685 therms/year = 8220 pounds CO2e/year
Transportation: 6.2 tons of CO2e
- Car: 12,000 miles per year/20.3mpg[3] multiplied 19.564 lbs CO2/gallon[4] = 11565 lbs CO2 or 5.24 tons eCO2
- Plane: 2110 miles (approximate return trip distance to Santa Fe, NM and the average round trip distance in US) multiplied by 0.968lbs CO2/passenger mile = 2042 lbs CO2e or .93 metric tons CO2e[5]
Food and material goods: 5.5 tons of CO2e
- The food emissions (2 tons) is based on total emissions for Agriculture in the US divided by the total population of the US.[6] It does not include processing, packaging, transportation and waste and is therefore a conservative estimate.
- Emissions from consumption of material goods (3.5 tons) is based off the emissions from the commercial and industrial sector in Oregon divided by the Oregon population[7], plus per capita diesel emissions within Eugene City limits. Again, this is a rough, conservative estimate.[8]
[1] The per capita numbers for Eugene are significantly lower than the nationwide average because we rely on hydropower for so much of our electricity. The production of electricity from hydropower does not release greenhouse gases, as does electricity production from fossil fuels like coal and natural gas.
[2] We assumed the household uses natural gas at the NW Natural residential average for Western Oregon and SW WA
, from conversation with Kip Much, NW Natural Manager, 12.15.2006. Much stated average use was 685 therms/yr. A household using natural gas might use less electricity than the EWEB average of 12,000 kWh/yr. To calculate the associated CO2 emissions, we used the EWEB coefficient of .1pounds CO2/kWh and 12 lbs CO2/therm for natural gas.
[3] Average miles from US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, “Emission Facts: Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Typical Passenger Vehicle,” February 2005, p.4, http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/420f05004.pdf.
[6] Coming soon.
[7] In Oregon, 1.9 million metric tons CO2e for Commercial sector emissions, 6.8 million metric tons CO2e for Industrial (Page B-3 Oregon strategy for GHG reduction http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/GBLWRM/docs/GWReport-FInal.pdf) divided by 3,436,750 (population estimated as of July 1, 2000) = 2.5 metric tons per capita per Oregonian
[8] Diesel emissions in 2005 in Eugene (largely for transportation of goods, rather than residential commuting, etc.) were 149238 metric tons, divide by 146,160 Eugene residents in 2005, equals 1.02 metric tons per capita. This does not include highway transportation, shipping, train or air transportation of goods, and therefore is an extremely conservative estimate. This information is from the Draft City of Eugene Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory Report.
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