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ORVs, Climate Change and Peak Oil

Global warming is arguably the biggest environmental threat we face today. Except for a handful of industry-funded skeptics, the scientific consensus is that human activities are the primary cause. And a big part of that, of course, is the burning of fossil fuels.

But even as Vermont legislators and state agencies urge people to carpool, install energy-efficient lightbulbs, and add insulation to their homes, there has been a resounding silence about the role of off-road vehicles in expanding Vermont's carbon footprint.

It's even possible to make estimates of how much ORVs add. Based on VAST's own data, snowmobile recreation in Vermont burns up about 5.4 million gallons of gasoline every year. That translates into 53,000 tons of CO2 emitted annually.

It's harder to pin down emissions from recreational ATVs, in part because estimates of the number of ATVs in Vermont vary so widely. (VASA sometimes claims that there are 100,000 ATVs in the state, even though only 16,000 were registered here in 2007). A recent Times-Argus article gave a range of 50,000 to 80,000. That range seems inflated as well. But since VASA would like to increase ridership to at least that level, it's worth seeing how much CO2 would be emitted by that many ATVs. Based on studies of ATV fuel use in other states, gasoline consumption by that many recreational ATV riders would burn 1.5 to 2.4 million gallons annually, and emit 13,000 to 23,000 tons of CO2.

These are not small numbers and one has to ask whether recreational thrills are worth the damage this is doing to the global environment.

We should also ask what our children and grandchildren will think of this wanton use of fossil fuel, when, as global oil production peaks and begins to decline, they may well live in a world where it's difficult to find and afford enough fuel for ambulances, fire trucks, home heating, and other necessities of life.