Sustainability Program specialist Scott Dybvad got in touch with us about the city’s first Greenhouse Gas Inventory.
“The City of Corvallis released results of the first Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory. The final report shows overall greenhouse gas emissions for the community in 2012 were 1,257,115 Metric Tons Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (MT CO2e). The year 2012 was chosen for study as it was the most recent year with full data availability.
The inventory estimates the quantity of greenhouse gases emitted from sources and activities in Corvallis and breaks them into categories:
The consumption of food and goods ranks highest among the categories, comprising over 40% of overall emissions. This category estimates worldwide greenhouse gas emissions for food and goods consumed in Corvallis. The second largest category of emissions is electricity, with over 27% of the community’s greenhouse gas impact. This may come as a surprise to some due to the perception that most electricity in the Pacific Northwest is generated by hydropower. While that may be the case for the region, a large majority of Corvallis’ electricity is supplied by fossil fuels (80%).
The 2012 Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report is the first to estimate emissions from the Corvallis community and provides insight into where emissions are generated. It also provides a baseline that may be used to monitor future emission-reduction efforts by the community.”
The inventory, as part of the Energize Corvallis programs, was supported in part by a three-year Climate Showcase Communities grant awarded in 2011 by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The report can be found on the City of Corvallis website at www.corvallisoregon.gov/CommunityGHGInventory. For more information, contact the City’s Sustainability Program Specialist, Scott Dybvad.