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Key West, FL Reduces Government Operations Emissions 5.6%
by Eli Yewdall
Key West, FL. Photo credit: Steve Beger Photography/Flickr
Key West's annual sustainability report shows that greenhouse gas emissions from government operations were 5.6% lower in 2009 than in the 2005 base year. The reduction shows significant progress toward the city's goal of 15% fewer emissions by 2015. Some of the changes that led to this reduction are:
- 18.9% reduction in electricity use by city buildings, street lights and traffic signals
- The waste water treatment plant reduced electric use by 6.1%, saving 253 metric tons of CO2
- Fleet operations changes, including use of bio-diesel and ethanol, decreased emissions by 622 tons of CO2
In addition, residential and commercial recycling rates increased 15%
from 2008 to 2009, preventing 278 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions. Waste from Key West is hauled 200 miles to
a landfill on the mainland, so this saved the city $33 thousand it would have had to pay to have that waste
hauled away and disposed of.
Key West adopted a climate action plan
in October 2009, and has allocated over $3 million in the 2010-2011
budget for implementation of projects in the plan. The bulk of that
funding will go to bike paths, sidewalks, and other improvements to make
the city more bike-able and walkable. Other projects include a
comprehensive solid waste study and replacement of lighting in the Park
and Ride facility with LED fixtures.
I'd bike to work if I lived in Key West too!
"We have at least 4 staff that now ride to work (in the 2007 survey only one person reported riding a bike)"
Check out other quantified accomplishments here: http://www.keywestcity.com/egov/docs/1267726417_922271.pdf