A Carbon-Neutral Community Plan for Ashfordton

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Imagine that you are a resident of Ashfordton, a community whose characteristics are described below. You have come together with your neighbors for a special meeting to devise a plan for helping the community become carbon-neutral by 2050, meaning that by that time, no net carbon dioxide emissions will be produced by residents as a whole.

Fortunately, you have all showed up to the meeting with lots of knowledge you gained from last week’s class discussion. Now it is time to put your thinking cap on and get to work! Your plan should consist of the following elements:

  • Energy conservation measures (e.g., promoting carpooling by adding special lanes to local highways) and
  • Steps to move toward sustainable energy production (e.g., installing solar panels on town government buildings)

Reducing energy consumption will help, but some actions will have to involve switching to other power sources for buildings and vehicles as well.

This week’s discussion will take place in an online app called “Tricider.” There, you will be able to post your ideas for plan components, and also share pros and cons of different proposals during the week. Finally, you will be able to vote on what you think should be in the plan.

Ashfordton:

Population: 32,000

Avg. High Temp (Dec): 34oF

Avg. High Temp (June): 62oF

Annual Precipitation: 62 in.

Urban Area: 14 sq. mi.

Main Power Source: natural gas

Overview:

The community of Ashfordton is located near sea level at the base of a snow-capped mountain, on a secluded ocean inlet, surrounded by rugged, forested land. The only access to the city is by ferry or plane; no roads connect it to other communities in the region. Winters are wet, mild, and long. The city serves as the capital for the state of New Bridgepoint. As such, government agencies are its leading employer, though tourism is also a major source of income, followed by commercial fishing. The city is renowned for its scenic beauty; tall mountains capped by glaciers can be seen from the downtown.