Around the world, cities are trying to combat climate change by shifting their energy needs away from coal, oil and natural gas. Some, like Reykjavik and Zurich, use no fossil fuels to produce power at all; others are still planning cutbacks.
CDP, a global non-profit, recently released results of a survey of the power mix of 162 cities worldwide. Many are moving to reduce carbon emissions, but some are much further along than others.
Brazilian cities get 76% of their power from clean sources, mostly hydropower. European cities average 59%. North American cities are not quite as green and Asian Pacific cities are the worst, receiving only 15% of their power on average from green sources.
There are standout cities in every region. 21 cities get all their power without using fossil fuels, including Winnipeg, Addis Ababa, and Padova in Italy. Another 15 cities are more than 90% fossil-fuel-free and that list includes Paris, Oslo, Stockholm, Toronto and Seattle. But two of those, Paris and Toronto, get at least half of their power from nuclear plants.
On the other hand, there are still cities that get 100% of their power from fossil fuels including Sydney, Pretoria, Moscow, and Mexico City.
Many cities are taking the lead on this issue because they are often hubs of innovation and can act more quickly than states or countries. Cities are seeing climate change as reality and not as a political issue as they face drought, extreme weather, and wildfires. Many are taking action in advance of more widespread initiatives.
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Which Cities In the World Are Closest to Nixing Fossil Fuels?
Photo, posted February 18, 2010, courtesy of Martin Morris via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.