Graph 2: 2007 Residential Carbon Emissions. Express graphic by Coly McCauley.
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When it comes to reducing greenhouse gases, Blaine County has some work to do. A new study on carbon emissions in Blaine County conducted by Kyle Livingston, climate protection coordinator for the Environmental Resources Center, examined local carbon emissions for the last three years.
The study looked at electricity use, natural gas consumption and vehicle use. Forty-six percent of county carbon emissions in 2007 came from electricity use, 22 percent from gasoline and 19 percent from natural gas.
The study revealed that per capita, Blaine County emits far more hazardous greenhouse gases than the national average.
The study used a standard measurement for carbon emissions, which is calculated in terms of equivalent CO2, known as eCO2, a mixture of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. Livingston calculated that on average, each person in Blaine County emits 24.6 tons of eCO2 per year. The national average is 20 tons per year.
Blaine County's natural gas consumption is on par with the rest of the country. However, Blaine County uses 60 percent more electricity than the U.S. national average.
Graph 1: Blaine County Community Carbon Emissions. Express graphic by Coly McCauley.
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"It is amazing how much we use here," Livingston said. "It can be attributed to the ski mountain as one of the biggest reasons."
The amount of energy required to maintain Sun Valley Resort, however, is unclear. Livingston said he is still waiting to hear from Idaho Power to learn how much electricity Sun Valley Co. uses.
"It has not been broken down to the point where you can make better inferences, especially with the electricity," he said.
Including Sun Valley Co.'s energy consumption in the study also makes it difficult to determine how the rest of the county's energy consumption stands in comparison to the national average.
"It definitely skews the numbers," Livingston acknowledged.
One reason for high local electricity use is probably its low cost. In 2007, Idaho users paid about 4 cents per kilowatt-hour, whereas people in New England paid between 15 and 18 cents.
The city of Sun Valley uses 24 percent of the county's natural gas.
"The majority of it is used by Sun Valley Co.," said David Nelson, Hailey District manager for Intermountain Gas Co. "I would say over 70 percent or somewhere in that vicinity."
Given the company's size and operations, however, such use is to be expected.
"It makes sense," Livingston said. "You have snowmelt to heat the water on the driveways, swimming pools that are heated and uncovered 24/7, the lodges like River Run that have to be heated."
The study also reported that 39 percent of industrial carbon emissions in Blaine County comes from electric power used for irrigation, of both agriculture and golf courses.
One area of energy consumption on the decline is the number of vehicle miles traveled on state highway and local roadways, which are counted by the Idaho Department of Transportation. From 2006 to 2007, there was a .2 percent decrease in annual vehicle miles traveled in the county. Livingston attributed the drop-off to the increased cost of gasoline and the rise of alternative transportation courtesy of Mountain Rides.
Livingston was quick to point out that his study is only the beginning.
"It should help to build more sustainable and resilient localized communities," he said.
Livingston is also working on a regional level to coordinate carbon-emissions reduction efforts. One idea is to work with Mountain Rides to increase public transportation. Another is implementing composting throughout the valley, with the help of Clear Creek Disposal, to reduce the amount of trash transported to a regional landfill in Burley.
"There is a real opportunity, especially in the non-profit sector, to address sustainability issues that also address our carbon emissions," Livingston said.
While Livingston's tenure as an AmeriCorps volunteer is coming to an end, he believes progress will continue to be made.
"I see a lot of momentum building," he said. "The support is there from the top. Our elected officials are all on board. The problem is effectively communicating what the programs are all about."
For a the complete Blaine County Community Carbon Emissions report contact Kyle Livingston by e-mail: kyle@ercsv.org or phone 208.726.4333.
