A23P-01
Using the Hestia bottom-up FFCO2 emissions estimation to identify drivers and hotspots in urban areas
Tuesday, 15 December 2015: 13:40
3001 (Moscone West)
Risa Patarasuk1, Preeti Rao2, Kevin R Gurney1, Darragh O’Keeffe1, Yang Song1, Jianhua Huang1, Martin Buchert3, John C Lin3, Daniel L Mendoza3, James R Ehleringer4, Annmarie Eldering2, Charles E Miller2 and Riley M Duren2, (1)Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States, (2)NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, United States, (3)University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States, (4)Univ Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
Abstract:
Urban areas occupy 3% of the earth’s land surface and generate 75% of the fossil fuel carbon dioxide (FFCO2) emissions. We report on the application of the Hestia Project to the Salt Lake County (SLC) and Los Angeles (LA) domains. Hestia quantifies FFCO2 in fine space-time detail across urban domains using a scientific “bottom-up” approach. We explore the utility of the Hestia to inform both urbanization science and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation policy. We focus on the residential sector in SLC and the onroad sector in LA as these sectors are large emissions contributors in each locale, and local governments have some authority and policy levers to mitigate these emissions. Multiple regression using sociodemographic data across SLC census block-groups shows that per capita income exhibits a positive relationship with FFCO2 emissions while household size exhibits a negative relationship, after controlling for total population. Housing units per area (i.e., compact development) has little effect on FFCO2 emissions. Rising income in the high-income group has twice as much impact on the emissions as the low-income group. Household size for the low-income group has four times the impact on the emissions as the high-income group. In LA, onroad FFCO2 emissions account for 49% of total emissions, of which 41% is from arterials (intermediate road class). Arterials also have the largest carbon emissions intensity - FFCO2/vehicle distance travelled (VKT) - possibly from high traffic congestion and fleet composition. Non-interstate hotspot emissions (> 419 tC ln-km-1) are equally dominated by particular arterials and collectors (lowest road class) though collectors have a higher VKT. These hotspots occur largely in LA (67%) and Orange (18%) counties and provide targeted information for onroad emissions reduction. Using Hestia to identify FFCO2 emissions drivers and hotpots can aid state and local policy makers in planning the most effective GHG reductions.
