11 17 24 10 17 PM The Climate Impact of Your Neighborhood Mapped The New York Times https nyti ms 3HzVzbB The Climate Impact of Your Neighborhood Mapped By Nadja Popovich Mira Rojanasakul and Brad Plumer Dec 13 2022 New data shared with The New York Times reveals stark disparities in how different U S households contribute to climate change Looking at America s cities a pattern emerges Emissions Footprint of the Average Household 20 30 40 50 60 70 tons of CO2 eq per household NATIONAL AVERAGE New York Seattle Atlanta Phoenix Chicago Washington Denver Kansas City Los Angeles Detroit Minneapolis Boston Note Data re ects average household emissions footprints in 2017 https www nytimes com interactive 2022 12 13 climate climate footprint map neighborhood html 1 16 11 17 24 10 17 PM The Climate Impact of Your Neighborhood Mapped The New York Times Households in denser neighborhoods close to city centers tend to be responsible for fewer planet warming greenhouse gases on average than households in the rest of the country Residents in these areas typically drive less because jobs and stores are nearby and they can more easily walk bike or take public transit And they re more likely to live in smaller homes or apartments that require less energy to heat and cool Moving further from city centers average emissions per household typically increase as homes get bigger and residents tend to drive longer distances But density isn t the only thing that matters Wealth does too Higher income households generate more greenhouse gases on average because wealthy Americans tend to buy more stuff appliances cars furnishings electronic gadgets and travel more by car and plane all of which come with related emissions Take New York America s largest city provides the clearest example of these patterns Emissions Footprint of the Average Household 20 30 40 50 60 70 tons of CO2 eq per household NATIONAL AVERAGE https www nytimes com interactive 2022 12 13 climate climate footprint map neighborhood html 2 16 11 17 24 10 17 PM The Climate Impact of Your Neighborhood Mapped The New York Times https www nytimes com interactive 2022 12 13 climate climate footprint map neighborhood html 3 16 11 17 24 10 17 PM The Climate Impact of Your Neighborhood Mapped The New York Times The densest and most transit friendly neighborhoods near the city center run deep green with some of the lowest emissions per household nationwide https www nytimes com interactive 2022 12 13 climate climate footprint map neighborhood html 4 16 11 17 24 10 17 PM The Climate Impact of Your Neighborhood Mapped The New York Times But in more distant suburbs and exurbs average emissions per household can be two to three times as high with some of the largest climate footprints in the nation https www nytimes com interactive 2022 12 13 climate climate footprint map neighborhood html 5 16 11 17 24 10 17 PM The Climate Impact of Your Neighborhood Mapped The New York Times Even in hyper dense Manhattan rich households on the Upper East Side have a bigger climate impact than their neighbors just a few blocks away because they fly more have bigger apartments and buy more stuff https www nytimes com interactive 2022 12 13 climate climate footprint map neighborhood html 6 16 11 17 24 10 17 PM The Climate Impact of Your Neighborhood Mapped The New York Times https www nytimes com interactive 2022 12 13 climate climate footprint map neighborhood html 7 16 11 17 24 10 17 PM The Climate Impact of Your Neighborhood Mapped The New York Times The maps above are based on research from the University of California Berkeley that estimates what are known as consumption based emissions The data was produced by EcoDataLab a consulting firm partnered with the university A map of emissions linked to the way people consume goods and services offers a different way to view what s driving global warming Usually greenhouse gases are measured at the source power plants burning natural gas or coal cows belching methane or cars and trucks burning gasoline But a consumption based analysis assigns those emissions to the households that are ultimately responsible for them the people who use electricity drive cars eat food and buy goods When individuals or households want to know what influence they have over emissions a consumption based carbon footprint is the most relevant indicator said Chris Jones director of the CoolClimate Network at the University of California Berkeley which developed the methodology behind the data set And it can help us see what sorts of larger systemic changes are necessary to help cities reduce those emissions he said The original idea behind the research which began more than a decade ago was to connect climate change with daily life to help people understand how their choices contribute to a global problem Dr Jones said That could inspire individuals to take steps to reduce their climate impacts such as by composting food scraps instead of tossing them in the trash But Dr Jones said he quickly realized the research could be even more powerful in the hands of policymakers Cities and local governments could use the data to identify the most effective ways to fight climate change by for example encouraging developers to build more housing in neighborhoods where people don t need cars to get around or helping households in suburbs more quickly adopt cleaner electric vehicles Explore the Map for Yourself Here s what average household emissions look like for different neighborhoods near you This is our best guess for where you might be reading this article You can also look up another location using the search box below or zoom and drag to explore the map Houston metro area 70 tons of CO2 eq per household https www nytimes com interactive 2022 12 13 climate climate footprint map neighborhood html 20 50 30 40 60 8 16 11 17 24 10 17 PM The Climate Impact of Your Neighborhood Mapped The New York Times NATIONAL AVERAGE Mapbox OpenStreetMap Note Metro area names have been simpli ed The researchers used a model a simplified mathematical representation of the real world to estimate the average household s emissions in each neighborhood based on electricity use car ownership income levels consumption patterns and more Driving and housing are frequently the largest contributors to a household s carbon footprint although what people eat what they buy and how often they fly are also important factors https www nytimes com interactive 2022 12 13 climate climate