Need indicators to measure energy consumption caused by infraastructure

Can we measure how cities have managed to increase energy consumption? And what rules are used to shape energy consumption? For transportation its easy. The increase in road, public works budgets, increasing speed limits, road designs are readily available as physical measures of how fuel consumption has increased with infrastructure. The rule used in Level Of Service. But what about other areas like water and garbage?

Climate change is resonant with the public today which is why we have an interest in less driving and green buildings etc. About 40% of the community Green House Gas footprint comes from building energy use. 55% of GHGs in this area come from the buildings location. Our inability in the past to address the toxic results of city actions, by just addressing pollution through the EPA and CEQA, has resulted in species declines and rising resource prices destabilizing the globe through resource wars, droughts, hurricanes, and fires. We have brought on our own four horsemen of the appocalypse.

On the Belmont Green Committee to address climate change, we just added a debate item, to do a postmortem analysis of city council actions to highlight how the working of city hall and the general plan shape energy consumption.

It was good to see the reporter take back this message:

The article goes on to write: Cities and counties make the rules that shape energy consumption. Why fight at City Hall against carbon dioxide emissions? Because about 45 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions come from transportation, and 28 percent from electricity generation and natural gas burning to heat and power buildings, according to Bay Area air quality officials.

Strangely the inability of city hall to address climate change is itself leading to a global decline from the effects of peak resources. The depression is causing all kinds of good things like a move to more home gardens, and declining energy use.