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The City of Asheville is reducing its consumption of fossil fuels and its vehicle emissions by switching to biodiesel and ethanol fuel blends for the city fleet and partner organizations Mission Hospitals, Asheville ABC Board and Asheville City Schools Transportation. Asheville Transit buses also have made the switch.
The bio-fuel use complements Asheville City Council’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 2 percent per year. “This effort represents one of many current and future efforts the city will take to reduce carbon emissions,” stated Margie Meares, co-chair of the city’s Sustainability Advisory Committee on Energy and the Environment. Other recent emission reduction efforts include a change last fall to ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and the addition this week to the city fleet of three more electric vehicles for use downtown, bringing the city’s total to eight of these zero-emissions vehicles. The use of biodiesel and ethanol will improve air quality by reducing vehicle emission pollutants that affect respiratory illnesses and by reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, the major pollutant causing global warming. The change will also help offset the nation’s use of foreign oil. Based on software developed by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), the city’s use of the new fuels will result in a 7.2 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. The change is projected to achieve an annual reduction of 525 tons in carbon dioxide emissions. For additional information, contact Fleet Manager Chris Dobbins at cdobbins@ashevillenc.gov or (828) 259-5702. (Image provided by the City of Asheville.)
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