New report out from Sierra Club and Evergreen Collaborative on a savvy climate solution we can make progress on right now. Boilers aren't exactly a sexy topic, but the paper has some really interesting stuff in it.
Toplines I found compelling:
- U.S. industrial boilers have the carbon footprint of the entire country of Austria
- Boilers in disadvantaged communities are nearly twice as polluting as boilers outside them, and 66% of the highest-polluting boilers are located in disadvantaged communities
- Electric alternatives can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80% and NOx emissions by up to 95%, saving 3,000 lives each year by 2050
- The climate benefits of switching to industrial heat pumps outweighs the added costs of doing so for over 90% of boiler units, meaning cost-effective alternatives widely exist today
- Legal analysis shows (conclusively!) that states can set their own emissions limits on industrial boilers, even without the EPA's help – meaning this is something we can make progress on under the Trump admin
Source: Bash1991