Yes.
Cars, trucks and automobiles in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex produced about 23.8 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2021, according to a tool built by researchers at Climate Trace.
That amount puts North Texas behind only Los Angeles and New York when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions generated by transportation.
The Climate Trace tool uses traffic, population and satellite data to estimate emissions. It has not undergone peer review from members of the scientific community, according to Public Health Watch and KERA.
But researchers say their calculations are similar to other emissions inventories, including those created by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Dallas-Fort Worth’s air quality is not meeting standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Experts cite intense vehicle traffic, pollution from industrial facilities and extreme heat as factors contributing to high ozone levels.
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Climate Trace Emissions Map
Public Health Watch and KERA New tool says Dallas-Fort Worth ranks third in the world for transportation-related greenhouse-gas emissions
Fort Worth Report North Texas ozone alerts hit highest number in a decade. Are millions in fines on the horizon?
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