City Dwellers produce less co2 than country folk

A recent study at the Brookings Institution, has found that per person city people produce less co2 than people who live in the country. One scientist says this is mainly because of the mass transit systems and the population density reduce the per person average. While metropolitan area emissions are some of the highest in the eastern U.S., where people rely more on coal power for electricity. Researchers have found that in the western U.S. the metropolitan area emissions are less than the emissions in the eastern U.S.. The study examined use of residential electricity, home heating and cooling, and transportation in 2005 in the largest 100 metropolitan where two-thirds of the people in the U.S. live. Lexington, Kentucky, had the largest per capita carbon footprint:on average each resident accounted for 3.81 tons of carbon dioxide in their energy use.

I was a little surprised when I read this article because I thought that no matter the case large cities would have the highest per capita co2 emissions. But I was wrong I can see why more city people are "greener" than country people. I think it is because in the country you are raised to conserve to begin with so you are already aware of the environment, but in the city you become more aware because of water restrictions and air quality and stuff like that. And finally there are the high gas prices which make city people use public transportation where in the country you don't really have public transportation.