Los Angeles has 2nd Lightest Carbon Footprint

A report released from the Brookings Institution says Honolulu has the lowest carbon footprint of any city in the United States. Then at number two is Los Angeles, which is a surprise considering the city's sprawling car culture and industry. Who is not surprised is Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's office. His deputy for energy and environment told the LA times that "sprawl is a lot worse in other parts of the U.S." and that the city has a "moderate climate, with fewer heating and air-conditioning days, and [it has] relatively newer, less drafty housing stock" than in other parts of the country.

But the report omits critical data that could affect Los Angeles' ranking. "The data is fuzzy," said Andrea Sarzynski, a senior research analyst at Brookings, to the Times. "We do the best we can."

Data used omitted long commutes from Ventura, San Bernardino or Riverside counties. emissions from industries and commercial buildings and local roads. The study also did not consider that half of the city's energy comes from coal-fired powered plants, not just hydroelectric and nuclear plants in Northern California.

San Jose, San Francisco and San Diego also made it into the top ten list of cities who carry small carbon footprints per capita.

Photo of a poster seen around Los Angeles by Carlito_Brigante_ via LAist Featred Photos on LAist