Keeling Curve

Project Summary / Description:

The City of Austin‚ goal to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is highly ambitious, with a current carbon footprint of 13.5 million metric tons, 43% of which is energy use. Austin owns its own electric utility and great progress is being made on conversion to carbon-free power sources of electricity, but challenges remain in reducing emissions related to natural gas. Natural gas loss occurs every day via leaks in delivery lines, but no data is available to prioritize leak repair. This project aims to develop detailed data regarding ground-level methane and where hot spots exist, that can then be fixed by prioritizing upgrades to underground gas delivery infrastructure in these locations. The goal is to trim methane leakage associated with the current .7 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions that occur due to natural gas use in homes and businesses. Using the data maps, the City of Austin will partner with Texas Gas Service to prioritize their current repair program to address leaking gas lines and eliminate unnecessary methane emissions in Austin. This project builds on a new approach undertaken by Google and Environmental Defense Fund using specially equipped Google Street View cars for mapping air pollution at the sub-city block scale. A pilot study in Oakland, CA demonstrated that this technique can reliably map air pollution every 30 meters (100,000√ó more spatial resolution than official regulatory monitors), and reveals that air pollution varies dramatically (up to 5-8√ó) within city blocks.

Best Estimate of GHG Avoidance/Reduction of This Project (Tonnes CO2 Equivalent/Year):

Mission Statement:

The Office of Sustainability provides leadership, influences positive action through engagement, and creates measurable benefits for Austin by achieving:
net-zero community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
a healthy and just local food system
resource efficient strategies for municipal operations
tangible projects that demonstrate sustainability
a resilient and adaptive city

Link: Facebook:

http://austintexas.gov/department/sustainability https://www.facebook.com/austinsustainability http://austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Sustainability/Climate/ACCP_summary_final_012717.pdf https://issuu.com/atxsustainability/docs/oos_austinclimateplan_061015 http://apte.caee.utexas.edu/google-air-mapping/ https://www.blog.google/products/maps/lets-clear-air-mapping-our-environment-our-health/