Planning for the future: Study shows long-term decrease, short-term increase in Tahoe emissions

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency at a recent meeting discussed greenhouse gas emissions in the basin and steps that are underway to reduce greenhouse gases in the lake. Along with the Sierra Business Council and Spatial Informatics Group, results from a greenhouse gas emission inventory were revealed, showing a 38.66% reduction in emissions from 2005 to 2018. The study showed a decline in in emissions from 1,297,446 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent to 795,793 metric tons. A carbon dioxide equivalent is a measurement used to compare emissions from various greenhouse gases by converting them to the equivalent global-warming potential as carbon dioxide. While the study revealed a positive step forward for the basin in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it also showed a 4.08% increase in emissions from 2015 to 2018.