GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS - The Sallan Foundation

emissions, and 18 percent of overall CO 2 e. 13 These data point clearly to greenhouse
gas reductions possible as a result of increased use of mass transit.
78%
12%
7%
1%
3%
11%
III. Solid Waste
Because the majority of New York’s solid waste is disposed of in managed landfills, and
because landfills accepting New York’s waste are estimated to capture 75 percent of
the methane that is generated
through the anaerobic
decomposition of the organic
matter in waste, disposal of this
waste resulted in net CO 2 e
emissions of approximately -1.5
million metric tons in 2005.
Although emissions from longhaul
transport are included in
the government inventory, they
have also been counted toward
the citywide total to ensure as
accurate an accounting of the
city’s CO 2 e emissions as
possible. When emissions from
this source are included with
solid waste emissions, the net
total is -1.2 million metric tons.
Heavy trucks Cars and Light Trucks Mass Transit
Subways Commuter Rail Buses
Figure 10. 2005 New York City CO 2 e emissions from transportation. 70 percent
of CO 2 e emissions are caused by only 55 percent of total motorized trips, while
12 percent of CO2e emissions resulting from mass transit account for 40 percent
of all motorized trips.
Metric tons CO 2
e
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
-500,000
-1,000,000
-1,500,000
-2,000,000
-2,500,000
-3,000,000
-3,500,000
Methane
Commitment
1,393,174
Long-haul
Transport
286,526
Landfill
Sequestration
-2,901,444
Figure 11. CO 2 e emissions from New York City solid waste,
2005. Methane capture in landfills results in net negative
emissions due to continued carbon sequestration.
13 Motorized trips data from NYMTC, Regional Travel – Household Interview Survey, 2000.
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