The Environment Writer

 

The Midwest is making a name for itself in the sector of carbon emissions and climate change. In addition to the progressive Chicago Climate Action Plan, the Chicago Climate Exchange, and the influx of wind energy investments, Purdue University in 2004 created the Purdue Climate Change Research Center (PCCRC). The Carbon Group headed by Kevin Gurney has created Project Vulcan, which quantifies 2002 fossil fuel CO2 emissions down to an astounding 10km x 10km grid.

 

The best part about the project is that it is integrated into a fascinating Google Earth map for easy and free viewing from any computer with the internet. The interactive map allows for carbon emissions down to a county level as well as choosing between 7 economic sub-sectors.

This research compilation provides an excellent baseline to create knowledgeable policies to deal with variations in CO2 output due regional economic, infrastructure and social factors. Furthermore, the free access to the information, of which further detailed information is available on the Project Vulcan website, gives easy information access to considered citizens and builds capacity for a knowledgeable public.

 

Project Vulcan continues with plans for compiling similar emission maps of Canada and Mexico. The Hestia Project is an exciting even larger-scale project to keep an eye out for, which, as a similar project on the global scale, which will “will quantify, simulate and visualize the metabolism of global industrial economic activity” down to even smaller portions of cities.