Current Status and Future Development of Sustainable Transport - Report Example

Sustainable transport; Current status and future development Name Institution Course Professor Date State of sustainable transport Introduction Sustainable transport is distinguished from any other kind of transport because its impact on the environment is minimal. Sustainable transportation is achieved through non motorized means such as cycling and walking (Agrawal, Singh, Ribeiro and Delgass 2012). Other ways could be the use of non fossil fuel powered motor vehicles, sharing of cars and using fuel efficient means. When transport is not sustainable, there are many environmental problems that come about. Sustainable transport is the solution to the many social, economic and environmental problems of pollution and resource depletion in the world today. The focus of this essay is sustainable transport and its present and future state. The essay will detail the problems, activities, environments, products and services involved in the sustainable transport among other things. Problems of unsustainable transport The biggest percentage of transport means today use fossil fuels. Many world economies are yet to take sustainable transport seriously. Unsustainable transport has many problems associated with it. These problems are of a social, economic and environmental nature. Governments and manufacturers make a lot of wealth through the refining and sale of fossil fuels (Agrawal et al 2012). The petroleum business is exploitative to some countries but benefits others immensely. The negative impact of fossil fuels on the environment cannot be ignored. Fossil fuels cause a lot of damage to both the natural and built environments. Many people have their health compromised when they expose themselves to the chemicals released from burning fossil fuels. These problems point people to the safety of sustainable transport which makes use of renewable energy sources. Use of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, organic compounds, heavy metals and sulfur dioxide into the air. Global warming and acid rain have been associated with the burning of fossil fuels. Acid rain is destructive to structures, plants and animals. Global warming threatens to wipe out man, plants and animals from the face of the earth through extreme temperatures and rising sea levels. Certain chemicals released through burning fossil fuels also cause climate change which has adverse effects on weather patterns. Fossil fuels cause heavy sea pollution especially through oil spills. This kills the aquatic flora and fauna (Australian Government 2010). Transport systems with a heavy reliance on fossil fuels face many problems. The prices of fossil fuels keep fluctuating and the worst problems are experienced when there is scarcity of the resource or when prices have gone too high. Since there are cartels in the oil and gas business problem of price escalation are frequent. Motorists endure times of no fuel or very expensive fuels. Those using public transport complain of lack of enough systems of public transport. Public transport should have enough buses, trains and other means connecting every part of a country to another. All the routes are not covered and therefore people suffer from a shortage of transport means. Public transport to some people is not enjoyable because of the slowness, inefficiency and lack of comfort. Some public transport systems are poorly maintained and therefore do not offer the best services to clients (Nagurney 2000, 112). In the midst of all these problems, shifting to sustainable transport for many economies and individuals is not easily welcome. There is need for sustainable transport solutions that will be attractive to people who are still using unsustainable transport. These solutions such as electric cars should have very low or zero emissions of toxic gases. People feel comfortable using fossil fuels because of the advantages of these fuels that they are used to. They feel uneasy to venture into the unknown zone of sustainable fuels which looks like an area that much is not known about (Banister, Button 1993, 28).  Public transport is seen cheap in away because fossil fuels are easily available and many more deposits are being discovered. People therefore feel it is a convenient source of fuel. Crude oil and gas is a source of livelihood for millions of people. Those involved in exploration, mining, refining, transportation and sale of oil all depend on it for survival. Stopping the use of fossil fuels will therefore bring down very many economies. Many oil producing countries have their economies founded on oil wealth. Such countries would become poor if there was no market for oil (Rietveld, Stough 2005, 31). Many people do not abandon fossil fuels because currently they have no access to alternative fuels. There are no cars designed to use electricity or non fossil fuels in many countries. Electric trains and cars are only available in developed countries. The rest of the world is forced to continue relying on fossil fuels. Other people simply don’t have adequate information on the problems caused by fossil fuels and the suitability of alternative sustainable fuels to tackle these problems. Sustainable transport also involves other means such as walking and cycling which may not be acceptable to many people. Avoiding fossil fuel powered transport means to cycle or walk may be cumbersome to some people. This could be so, because these means may be physically demanding, tiresome, time consuming and without any comfort and luxury (Ryan, Turton 2007, 43). Problems caused by fossil fuel transport inconvenience all the people relying on them and even those who do not. governmental and citizens, companies and various businesses have a rough time when the fossil fuels are scarce or too expensive and the prices of various commodities are shooting because of high transport costs. Inflation in any country could result from high costs of fossil fuels. Governments are major beneficiaries of this research and they suffer greatly when fossil fuels are in low supply. They suffer because they have to regulate the performance of their economies by controlling fuel costs and mitigating environmental problems caused by burning of fossil fuels (Banister 2005, 77). Problems resulting from the use of fossil fuels as explained in this paper could also spill into the future. Their effects are bound to affect the existence and survival of future generations. The rate of exploitation of these fuels is very high and their environmental effects are destructive to the natural resource base. Destruction of aquatic habitats, air pollution, climate change, ozone layer depletion and pollution of land all possess the potential of compromising the survival of future generations (Agrawal et al 2012). The general public is a major loser in the use of fossil fuels. Polluted environments will present people with many health problems especially cancer those diseases related to the respiratory tract. Production of food by agricultural means will also prove to be hard since pollution will affect both land and water. Since resource conservation is not being emphasized there could be a shortage in important resources needed for survival. People should adopt sustainable means of transport on every journey they take. This may include business trips, recreational trips, driving to and from work or even while at home. Every mile covered should be taken in consideration of its impacts to the environment. People should embrace new technology that helps them to conserve and protect the environment. In this, vehicles powered by electricity and solar will be developed to tackle the fossil fuel problem (Black 2010, 13). Unfortunately, the many billions of cars in use today rely on fossil fuels. All these motor vehicles will need redesigning so that they can use electricity or solar power as their source of fuel. All the other transport means such as trains, ships, air crafts and motorcycles will also need to be redesigned for them to stop using fossil fuels as a source of energy. Overuse of fossil fuels could also be avoided by use of taxis and public service vehicles. Since these carry many people at a go, they reduce the level of pollution that would otherwise result when so many cars are being used at the same time (Green Energy Choice 2012). Rationale for the topic The importance of the topic sustainable transport cannot be ignored. The world is already suffering from the effects of fossil fuel use. People have reported many cases of diseases resulting from air pollution and ozone layer depletion. The issue of climate change is a hot topic today and global warming is still a problem that no one has been able to solve so far (California Energy Commission 2012). Rapid resource depletion and environmental degradation could leave future generations with nothing to survive on. This topic is therefore crucial since all people are affected by the fossil fuels and their lack of knowledge about the advantages of sustainable transport is their greatest undoing. Many more people need to understand what fossil fuels are doing to the planet so that they can change their habits. The future of the planet earth lies in the ability of the present generation to shift from un-sustainable to sustainable transport. Design opportunities to be researched on in the future could include transport means powered by solar energy, electricity and biodiesel (Schiller, Bruun, Kenworthy 2010, 89).  Conclusion In conclusion, the essay has examined issues surrounding sustainable transport. Of importance in the essay is the current status and future development of sustainable transport. Sustainable transport is important because the use of fossil fuels causes a lot of damage to the natural and artificial environment. Land, air and water pollution together with depletion of resources endangers the lives of the present and future generations. People are slow to change to sustainable transport because of the abundant availability of fossil fuels. Vehicles, ships, aircrafts and motorcycles should be redesigned so that their engines can make use of sustainable sources of energy. Taxis and public service vehicles, walking and cycling are ways that could reduce too much use of fossil fuels. The topic is important since the survival of mankind on the planet depends on the type of transport that people will choose. Sustainable transport should be chosesn since it has the ability to solve all the problems that people are having as a result of using fossil fuels. Research questions Focal: What is the state of sustainable transport in the world? Subsidiary: 1. What problems can sustainable transport solve? 2. Why are there problems with fossil fuel use? 3. Who is likely to be affected by the fossil fuel problems? 4. What activities contribute to fossil fuel problems? 5. Why is this topic of significance? Bibliography Agrawal R., Singh, N.R., Ribeiro, F.H., and Delgass N. (2012). Sustainable fuel for the transportation sector. Retrieved 23 Aug. 2012 from http://www.pnas.org/content/104/12/4828.full Australian Government (2010). Sustainable Transport. Retrieved 23 Aug. 2010 from http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/transport/ Banister, D. (2005). Unsustainable Transport: City Transport in the New Century. Taylor & Francis. Banister, D. Button, K.J. (1993) Transport, the Environment and Sustainable Development. Taylor & Francis. Black, W.R. (2010). Sustainable Transportation: Problems and Solutions. Guilford Press. Carlifornia Energy Commission. (2012). The Energy Story. Retrieved on 23 August 2012 from http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter08.html Green Energy Choice (2012). Fossil Fuels: How Do They Negatively Affect the Environment? Retrieved 23 Aug. 2012 from http://www.greenenergychoice.com/green-guide/fossil-fuels.html Nagurney, A. (2000). Sustainable Transportation Networks. Edward Elgar. Rietveld, P., Stough, R. (2005). Barriers to Sustainable Transport: Institutions, Regulations and Sustainability. Taylor & Francis. Ryan, L., Turton, H. (2007). Sustainable Automobile Transport: Shaping Climate Change Policy. Edward Elgar Publishing. Schiller, P.L., Bruun, E.C., Kenworthy, J.R. (2010) An Introduction to Sustainable Transportation: Policy Planning and Implementation. Earthscan. Read More

Public transport to some people is not enjoyable because of the slowness, inefficiency and lack of comfort. Some public transport systems are poorly maintained and therefore do not offer the best services to clients (Nagurney 2000, 112). In the midst of all these problems, shifting to sustainable transport for many economies and individuals is not easily welcome. There is need for sustainable transport solutions that will be attractive to people who are still using unsustainable transport. These solutions such as electric cars should have very low or zero emissions of toxic gases.

People feel comfortable using fossil fuels because of the advantages of these fuels that they are used to. They feel uneasy to venture into the unknown zone of sustainable fuels which looks like an area that much is not known about (Banister, Button 1993, 28).  Public transport is seen cheap in away because fossil fuels are easily available and many more deposits are being discovered. People therefore feel it is a convenient source of fuel. Crude oil and gas is a source of livelihood for millions of people.

Those involved in exploration, mining, refining, transportation and sale of oil all depend on it for survival. Stopping the use of fossil fuels will therefore bring down very many economies. Many oil producing countries have their economies founded on oil wealth. Such countries would become poor if there was no market for oil (Rietveld, Stough 2005, 31). Many people do not abandon fossil fuels because currently they have no access to alternative fuels. There are no cars designed to use electricity or non fossil fuels in many countries.

Electric trains and cars are only available in developed countries. The rest of the world is forced to continue relying on fossil fuels. Other people simply don’t have adequate information on the problems caused by fossil fuels and the suitability of alternative sustainable fuels to tackle these problems. Sustainable transport also involves other means such as walking and cycling which may not be acceptable to many people. Avoiding fossil fuel powered transport means to cycle or walk may be cumbersome to some people.

This could be so, because these means may be physically demanding, tiresome, time consuming and without any comfort and luxury (Ryan, Turton 2007, 43). Problems caused by fossil fuel transport inconvenience all the people relying on them and even those who do not. governmental and citizens, companies and various businesses have a rough time when the fossil fuels are scarce or too expensive and the prices of various commodities are shooting because of high transport costs. Inflation in any country could result from high costs of fossil fuels.

Governments are major beneficiaries of this research and they suffer greatly when fossil fuels are in low supply. They suffer because they have to regulate the performance of their economies by controlling fuel costs and mitigating environmental problems caused by burning of fossil fuels (Banister 2005, 77). Problems resulting from the use of fossil fuels as explained in this paper could also spill into the future. Their effects are bound to affect the existence and survival of future generations.

The rate of exploitation of these fuels is very high and their environmental effects are destructive to the natural resource base. Destruction of aquatic habitats, air pollution, climate change, ozone layer depletion and pollution of land all possess the potential of compromising the survival of future generations (Agrawal et al 2012). The general public is a major loser in the use of fossil fuels. Polluted environments will present people with many health problems especially cancer those diseases related to the respiratory tract.

Production of food by agricultural means will also prove to be hard since pollution will affect both land and water. Since resource conservation is not being emphasized there could be a shortage in important resources needed for survival.

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