Recognition for environmental researchers' paper
27.12.2011
The article by Aalto University researcher Jukka Heinonen and Professor Seppo Junnila, Implications of urban structure on carbon consumption in metropolitan areas, was chosen the Best Article in 2011 of Environmental Research Letters.
In their article, the researchers propose that the impact of urban structure, especially that of density, on greenhouse gas emissions caused by people is slight or nonexistent. According to the study, the carbon footprint of a person living on the countryside could well be significantly lower than that of a city dweller. The results of the study challenge the conclusions of many earlier studies according to which urban dwellers produce less carbon dioxide than countryside residents. Jukka Heinonen and Seppo Junnila point out that carbon dioxide emissions accelerating the climate change depend mostly on the amount of goods and services people consume and not on the place of residence.
Environmental Research Letters is a free open access journal. It publishes scientific articles in a relatively broad front and is among the best recognized environmental papers.
The selection criteria included novelty, scientific impact, readership, broad appeal and wide media coverage. A media release that Aalto University published concerning the research received a lot of media attention both in Finland as well as internationally.
Article: "Implications of urban structure on carbon consumption in metropolitan areas" (iopscience.iop.org)
Environmental Research Letters (iopscience.iop.org)
News: City dwellers produce as much CO2 as countryside people do
