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Issues Of The Environment: U-M Research Most Expansive Ever On Residential Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Benjamin Goldstein
Erb Institute
/
erb.umich.edu

A new University of Michigan report studies 93 million homes in America to explore where, and how, we live impacts climate change.  The results show greenhouse gasses are produced at much higher levels in areas of affluence.  In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair discusses the report in greater detail with lead author of the report, Dr. Benjamin Goldstein. 

Overview

  • A new, nationwide, research study from U-M has revealed that the homes of wealthy Americans generate about 25% more greenhouse gases than residences in lower-income neighborhoods, mainly due to their larger size.  In the nation’s most affluent suburbs, those emissions can be as much as 15 times higher than in nearby lower-income neighborhoods.

  • Those estimates are reported in a University of Michigan study of 93 million American homes.  It is the most comprehensive study of U.S. residential greenhouse gas emissions, according to the authors, and the first to provide nationwide rankings by state and zip code.

  • Benjamin Goldstein, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Michigan, says this is also the first nationwide study to find correlations between affluence, residential floor space, and greenhouse gas emissions.

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— David Fair is the WEMU News Director and host of Morning Edition on WEMU.  You can contact David at734.487.3363, on twitter @DavidFairWEMU, or email him at dfair@emich.edu

Contact David: dfair@emich.edu
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