Sunday’s New York Times had a big story today on greening the suburbs. It’s not particularly ground-breaking, but it does make you think about drying your laundry on clotheslines and growing strawberries instead of lawns. What are some of the easiest things we’ve been overlooking in our attempts to make our suburban lifestyles lighter on the environment? PLUS, what kinds of restrictions are we seeing?

A lot of neighbors would be steamed if you propped up a wind turbine in your back yard — but what about drying your laundry? What about installing solar panels on your roof or in your yard? Which covenanted neighborhoods in Boulder ban such outwardly visible efforts to save energy or use local renewables? Please comment below.

ecenter.colorado.edu

Did CU cause a 4% increase in local CO2 emissions?

Way to go, Camera! The front page of today’s Boulder Daily Camera features a story by Ryan Morgan: Boulder spews more CO2.

Apparently a new CO2 emission inventory for the city of Boulder is, or is about to be, released. I haven’t seen this document yet, but I have requested it from the city’s department of environmental affairs. I am trying to obtain not just the city’s summary, but the complete inventory.

(UPDATE: I did just get some summary data, but am pushing for more.) 

The Camera noted an interesting aspect of the latest inventory: “Emissions across the city rose by 4 percent last year — the first time emissions have risen since city officials started counting carbon. Part of the increase comes from a decision by University of Colorado officials to stop burning natural gas to make electricity, and to instead buy it all from Xcel Energy’s coal plants.”

Emission inventories are crucial documents in understanding local greenhouse gas issues. In my work as an energy and environment reporter I’ve seen them before, and I know they often have many stories to tell. The Camera definitely found a good story here, but I’m sure it’s not the only one.

How can we dig deeper on this? The key is getting the inventory. Colorado’s open records law requires, among other things, that local governments produce upon request public records…

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