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Environment & Science

‘Driving around the world over 105,000 times’: Penn State students share Allentown’s 2023 greenhouse gas inventory

Allentown City Hall, Allentown Arts Park, Lehigh County Jail, prison, Allentown Center City, Lehigh valley
Donna S. Fisher
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For LehighValleyNews.com
This is the Arts Park in Allentown, Pa.. Picture made in February, 2023.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — In the face of climate change, it’s essential for communities to equip themselves with information about how they contribute to emissions, Baylee Balogh said Wednesday.

“And, from that, what opportunities they have to mitigate them and build resilience to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Balogh, a student in Penn State’s master's degree of professional studies program for community and economic development.

“The first step is identifying baseline levels and major sources within the community.”

Balogh, along with LaKeisha Riley, shared the results of their 2023 citywide greenhouse gas inventory during a special meeting of the city’s Environmental Advisory Council.

“This is kind of the equivalent to a gas powered car driving 2.6 billion miles, which would be equal to driving around the world over 105,000 times.”
LaKeisha Riley, LCAP student

The project was part of Penn State’s Local Climate Action Program or LCAP. Through the program, upper-level students are matched with municipalities across the commonwealth to create a greenhouse gas inventory to help inform climate action planning.

“Our findings show that approximately 1,046,000 metric tons of [carbon dioxide] equivalent were emitted in the city of Allentown in 2023,” Balogh said.

“This is kind of the equivalent to a gas-powered car driving 2.6 billion miles, which would be equal to driving around the world over 105,000 times.”

Commercial, industrial energy

Balogh and Riley, who is Penn State senior majoring in energy and sustainability policy, gave an hour-long presentation.

In it, they detailed each of the sectors contributing to greenhouse gas emissions in the city, as well as the percentage of total emissions for which each was responsible.

“Regardless of your position on the issue, it is undeniable that the planet is changing,” Riley said. “Summers are hotter, winters are milder and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as flooding and hurricanes are increasing.

“Human activity is the primary driver of these environmental changes.”

The largest emitting sector was commercial and industrial energy, with 382,976 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, or MTCO₂e, which comprises about 36.6% of the total emissions.

Transportation and mobile sources made up 29.9%, with 312,691 MTCO₂e, and residential energy made up 27.4%, with 286,599 MTCO₂e.

Allentown GHG 2023
Screenshot
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2023 Allentown Greenhouse Gas Assessment
The largest emitting sector was commercial and industrial energy, with 382,976 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, or MTCO₂e, which comprises about 36.6% of the total emissions in 2023.

“Actions to reduce emissions from these sectors in particular could be key elements in future climate action taken by Allentown,” Balogh said.

Solid waste, as well as water and wastewater facilities, were responsible for the rest — 5.6% and 0.6%, respectively — of citywide emissions.

“As you all are very aware from your recent projects, including Allentown's participation in the local climate action program and other efforts toward a future climate action plan, Allentown is taking a lot of really important and necessary steps to reduce climate-changing emissions and build a more resilient community,” Balogh said.

The city doesn’t currently have a climate action plan. However, funding was allocated in the city's most recent budget to create one.

In September, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission published a region-wide greenhouse gas emission inventory.

That report showed the region’s industrial and transportation sectors are responsible for the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions, at 32.3% and 32.1%, respectively.

Sustainability efforts

Also during the meeting, Allentown sustainability coordinator Veronika Vostinak detailed the work she’s completed so far, as well as plans for the coming year.

Vostinak was hired as the city’s first sustainability coordinator in March.

The city’s Youth Climate Action Fund in its first year got 14 applications, she said. It was funded through a $50,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Officials awarded eight $5,000 awards to Building 21, Cohesion, Communities in Schools (Sheridan Elementary), Executive Education Academy Charter School, Fine Feather Foundation, Movement Moves Media, Muhlenberg enACT and Valley Youth House.

City officials earlier in the day announced the program has been renewed and expanded for a second year after a $100,000 grant from Bloomberg.

“The Youth Climate Action Fund supports individuals aged 15-24 and youth-led organizations to create impactful projects in areas such as climate change awareness, education, research, co-development initiatives, climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, and co-governance,” officials said in a news release.

“These efforts align with Allentown’s climate priorities as the city prepares to develop its first Climate Action Plan in 2025.”

At least 17 projects will be funded, with grant amounts ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 each. There is both a priority deadline of March 16 and a final deadline of April 6.

Applications, as well as additional information, can be found on the city’s website.

The city also was chosen for this year’s cohort of the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Shared Energy Manager program.

The program aims to help governments across the commonwealth by pairing them with an engineering company to complete energy assessments and renewable energy studies, as well as help implement climate action plans.

Through that program, the city was paired with Wilson Engineering, which helped identify almost $300,000 in funding for electric vehicles and charging.

“So we will be purchasing seven electric vehicles that will be used by our public works department,” Vostinak said.

“And doing some data analysis on how those work with our operations and how it pencils out as far as energy use and maintenance over time and how well they work.”