Sustainable Transportation Ariana Gillooly

Melina GrayMatthew SinexBrett Cooper

What is Sustainable Transportation?

• Sustainable transportation is human transportation that does not rely on fossil fuels or other finite resources, does not harm the environment, and still allows mankind to travel the world as quickly and safely as they do today.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9j42-V5cr0

Why is This Issue Important?

1. Regular transportation causes air pollution2. There are limited fossil fuels3. Wasted resources on a micro scale

Air Pollution

• #1 pollutant in oil driven vehicles is CO2 , or carbon dioxide.

Air Pollution & Your Health• Between 350,000 and 500,000 Chinese die prematurely each

year because of the country's disastrous air pollution

Beijing, China

Air Pollution & Transportation

• This pollution comes partially from a vehicle’s exhaust, which outputs large amounts of CO2 .

Air Pollution & The Environment• A greenhouse gas is any gaseous compound in the atmosphere that is capable of

absorbing infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere. Increasing the heat in the atmosphere ultimately leads to global warming.

• In 2012, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions totaled 6,526 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, which equaled 82% of all human caused greenhouse gasses.

Limited Fossil Fuels• “Fossil fuel” is a broad term that refers to

combustible (explosive) deposits of organic materials found on Earth.

• These fuels are formed by decayed plants and animals that naturally convert into crude oil, coal, and natural gas over hundreds of millions of years. This extreme creation duration makes the current supply finite (for human intents and purposes).

• Eventually, we will either run out of fossil fuels or go extinct as a species. We must find renewable energy sources before it gets to this end.

Fossil FuelsElectricity doesn’t just come from your outlet! It is produced.

U.S. 2013 Electricity Generation

Wasted Resources in YOUR Life!• The average American commuter spends

around 38 hours in traffic per calendar year.• Vehicles continue to idle in traffic, outputting

CO2 and consuming fuel that is simply wasteful.

Potential Solutions• Many solutions are being

implemented today across the globe in order to overcome these challenges.

• While these solutions are a slow start, they are a step in the right direction to achieve full sustainability in our transportation systems.

Air Pollution Solutions• Lowering or eliminating

the use of oil

• Fully electric vehicles

• Hybrid vehicles

Air Pollution Solutions• Cleaner energy production will decrease air pollution dramatically.• Cleaner energy alternatives to oil include hydroelectric, solar, and

nuclear.

Personal Cost Solutions

• If cost of electricity is 12 cents per kWh, an electric car costs about $540 per year to power.– Compare that to around $2,900 per year in

gasoline that the average U.S. household spends.• If more focus is applied to clean energy

harvesting, electricity prices could go down with an influx of supply

• Bus passes and train fare can be even cheaper than personal vehicles.

Solutions Expanded• These proposed solutions are for the American public and would

work practically on a global scale.• The most efficient transportation systems aren’t individual

vehicles, it’s mass transportation. This includes bus systems, high speed trains, light rails, trolleys, etc.

• Mass transportation systems allows many people to utilize the system simultaneously, while using much less energy and emitting far less per person.

• These systems are perfect for compressed areas such as cities, but not yet viable for all areas.

Sustainable Transportation is a Global Movement

• Many cities around the world have taken on the role of sustainable transportation and have been awarded for their innovative projects.

• The Sustainable Transport Award was established in 2005 and recognizes profound leadership, vision, and achievement in sustainable transportation and urban livability.

• Let’s take a look at some of the improvements others have made around the world!

2015 Sustainable Transportation Winners 3-way tie: Belo Horizonte, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro Brazil.

• Belo Horizonte implemented a new urban mobility plan and bus rapid transit (BRT) system in 2014.

• Today, it carries 480,000 passengers daily on two corridors.• The system has reduced average travel time by 40%.

• Rio de Janeiro has made great strides reducing traffic congestion, improving road safety, and implementing high quality public transit. It has a network of BRT corridors benefiting 400,000 people every day across 59 miles of dedicated routes.

• São Paulo was selected for its progress in implementing dedicated bus lanes, building cycling culture, and expanding public spaces.

2014 Sustainable Transportation Winner:Buenos Aires, Argentina

• In 2013, the city launched two new corridors of their BRT system on the street “9 de Julio.”

• In addition, the city has transformed dozens of blocks in city center into a pedestrian-friendly environment, encouraging walking and cycling, and plans to continue this process in the next year.

Before: After:

2013 Sustainable Transportation Winner:Mexico City, Mexico

• Mexico City has expanded its BRT system, piloted a comprehensive on-street parking reform program (ecoParq), and expanded its successful public bike system (Ecobici).

Manufacturer Strides• Teaching people to drive more economically

What Can YOU Do Today?

• Consider voting for candidates willing to make governmental mandates to improve sustainable transportation options, such as green bus systems or electric trains.

• Consider utilizing mass transportation more often as a substitute for your personal vehicle.

• When you do drive, you should also consider changing your driving style. Why is this important? Let’s take a look…

Driving Comparison• The following video is a driving comparison

between a Toyota Prius at its maximum track ability while a BMW M3 simply patches its pace. (Their rate of acceleration and average velocity are the same)

• Which car do you think uses the least fuel when raced 10 laps around a track?

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmxUsGiGp3w (4:15)

Long Term Goals for Our Society – CAFE Standards• Automobile manufacturers need to continue increasing their fuel

economy ratings. This is greatly assisted by CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy)

• The Obama administration issued new rules that require automakers to nearly double the average fuel economy of new cars and trucks by 2025.

• The standards — which mandate an average fuel economy of 54.5 miles per gallon for the 2025 model year — will increase the pressure on auto manufacturers to step up development of electrified vehicles as well as sharply improve mileage through techniques like more efficient engines and lighter car bodies.

• Current rules for the CAFE, program mandate an average of about 29 miles per gallon, with gradual increases to 35.5 m.p.g. by 2016.

• We need to lower our use of oil. Small changes on the micro scale mean large differences over the country’s totals.

More Long Term Goals for Our Society• We need to improve the convenience of using an electric vehicle.• We need to make mass transit more viable in more parts of the country.• Most importantly, we need to change how we perceive transportation

and its effect on our earth as a society.

The Ideal World

• Transportation that requires zero fossil fuels.• Electric personal vehicles, electric mass

transportation, and this electricity being harvested from clean sources (hydroelectric, solar, nuclear, etc.)

• Transportation that is safe, fast, and convenient for all citizens, regardless of their destination.

Conclusion• What is sustainable transportation?• Why is this issue important?– Air pollution– Fossil fuel consumption– Wasted resources on micro level

• What are potential solutions?– Electric transportation– Clean energy harvesting– Mass transportation for efficiency

Questions for the Class • https://jeopardylabs.com/play/enter-title240414 • jeopardylabs.com/edit/enter-title240414 • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkdmOVejUlI

References

• http://staward.org/winners/ - Sustainable Transportation Awards

• http://www.livescience.com/37821-greenhouse-gases.html -Greenhouse Gases

• http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/29/business/energy-environment/obama-unveils-tighter-fuel-efficiency-standards.html?_r=0 – CAFE Standards

•http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases /2014/air-pollution/en/ - Air Pollution & Health