Transportation infrastructure includes railroads, highways, airports, and harbors. There can be environmental impacts associated with the construction and repair of transportation infrastructure. The transportation infrastructure is an important component of the local and global economy because of its constant use. With the increase in mobility of people, goods, and information, the need for quality development is apparent. When transport systems run efficiently it provides economic benefits and opportunities that “provide economic and social opportunities and benefits that result in positive multipliers effects such as better accessibility to markets, employment, and additional investments.” Of course, in the alternative, should the …show more content…
An efficient and convenient transportation system plays a key role in economic growth, and the preservation of a high quality of life. But, the transportation system can have a disruptive impact on land, water, and air resources. The current lack of investment and long range planning in transit infrastructure does not support the State’s future growth and economic development needs. The current transit system is already near or at capacity with limited capability for growth within existing operations and infrastructure. Furthermore, the lack of dedicated funding for capital investment and operating and maintenance costs create great uncertainty for the future of the transit system. Accordingly, in Can sustainable tourism survive climate change? Author David Weaver, contends that “mitigation similarly evokes technological innovation, for example, in the quest for more fuel-efficient aircraft, alternative energy transport or the most efficient modes of carbon sequestration.” Therefore, it is not unusual practice for industries to engage in climate change only for a profit and if it “reduces regulatory pressure from government”. But carbon sequestration can be risky, in fact safe practices are necessary to develop CO2 sequestration. Howard J. Herzog in his article, What Future for Carbon Capture and Sequestration? states that …show more content…
(Herzog 2001). Identifying appropriate environmental policies for mitigation of transportation to reduce its impacts on the environment is necessary and include fuel and vehicle technology, transportation management, research, and infrastructure planning. Departments of Transportations will need to comply with specific policies to improve air, water, and land quality to ensure that negative impacts on the transportation system are minimized. Clean Energy Policies must continue to be complied with to ensure that the transportation system would not be adversely affected. Policies which would yield energy savings without affecting transportation improvements should be reviewed. Policies to control transportation emissions which contribute to the greenhouse effect need to be researched to ensure that the impacts of the transportation system minimize adverse effects on the environment. But these strategies can only work if state and federal law implement these requirements. If the Department of transportation does not comply, they should be subject to sanctions from the
Railroads made a huge contribution to the growth of the United States, they led to many advances throughout American History. There were numerous matters the railroads effected in American development and the framework of the country. The railroad had positive and negative effects on America as a whole through the growth of the industry, such as; encouraged western expansion, enhanced the economy, recognized railroad monopolies, assisted the Union in Civil War, helped keep the country together, and created a high expense cost for the nation.
The topic of global warming has been looming over our guilty shoulders since the early 1900’s. Transportation is the top contributor of greenhouse gas emissions which forms a barrier in the ozone, trapping in heat and heating our planet to unforeseen temperatures, much like a greenhouse. Over 225 billion gallons of gasoline is burned for transportation in the United States alone (CNN 2013.) All the harmful emissions from vehicles are starting to add up and scientists are watching the ice caps...
The desperate plight of the environment should by all means be the first priority for every single government and person on this planet. With today’s common knowledge of what might happen in the near future if significant changes aren’t made in the lifestyle of most people it’s hard to understand why 70 million cars continue to vomit their poison into the air everyday. All around the world environmental activists fight to preserve our patches of rain forests and wetlands, as well as protect a variety of fragile but important ecosystems. In all major cities, advocates of environmental conservation annually propose plans with alternative modes of transportation and energy-efficient appliances that will every citizen would be mandated to use. Even if instituted gradually, these ch...
US’ input in global emissions is ⅕ of the total amount in the world, and after withdrawal from Paris climate accord all of US citizens should take as much responsibilities for their lifestyles as they can. Why don't we start by replacing plane flights with car rides? Of course, in some cases it is unlikely, for example, business trips, where you have to cross the ocean in one day for important meeting, or funeral ceremony of your beloved grandmother, which cannot wait until you cross the country by car. However, the next vacation every conscious person should choose ride over flight. Surely, your family will love the road trip, but even if they won’t be joyful about this news, it will be the right thing to do. Because five of you in the plane will cause twice as much of the ponderous emissions on your trip from New York to Los Angeles than as if you go by car. This sacrifice is absolutely worth it, and everybody should consider
Pollution is a major problem for all of us. People need to recognize this situation so we can start making a difference to this problem. In order to start making a difference, the federal government should increase gasoline tax by one dollar a gallon. Fifty percent of this dollar will go towards public transportation, since passenger cars and trucks are a major contribution towards air pollution, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, E.P.A (10/4, http://www.epa.gov/autoemissions/emsns.html). Due to the expected increase after this is put forth, the remaining fifty percent of the dollar will go towards safety on these transits. When public transportation increases, air pollution will decrease, which will lessen the harmful health risks towards the environment.
1. Define Critical Infrastructure, identify key concerns for protecting critical infrastructure and discuss the roles and responsibilities for protecting critical infrastructure.
If anything, the shift to the sustainability debate has raised many more questions, not to mention many different definitions of sustainability. Natural scientists now debate the placement of “ecological limits” while social scientists debate the feasibility of making the necessary adjustments to human behavior through existing social institutions. One such debate is taking place within the context of transportation, where participants are focused on the question of how to meet humanity’s mobility needs while curbing greenhouse gas and other emissions. There are many different points of view in this discussion, from the broadest perspectives about the necessity of transportation as a whole, to more focused perspectives about the potential combinations of transportation ...
Transportation is an ever-growing sector in our society today. Because of the bustling city life we have today, most of us use transportation means to get from one place to another. Generally, road transportation comprised of nearly 40% of all energy sector emissions. While road transports in 2012 were up by 68% over 1990 levels, the trend has been flat ever since 2007. This flat trend in transport activity combined with improving efficiency. Transport of passenger and freight by rail is less carbon intensive than by road (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment New Zealand 1 and 6)
On the basis of these stated objectives it does appear that environmental concerns, in terms of sustainable transport use and greenhouse gas emission reductions, have been considered in the proposal. However this doesn't necessarily indicate whether the environment has been definitely considered in the design process of the proposal, or whether this is a reflection of the social and economic influences upon the proposal.
Today, people use their own personal vehicles to travel more than ever before. Personal transportation is no longer considered a luxury; it is now considered a necessity. The number of cars in the United States has been growing steadily since the 1970s. The number of miles traveled by cars has risen nearly 150 percent, yet the United States population has only grown roughly 40 percent during that time (hybridcars.com, Driving Trends). Although it may seem like we are advancing into the future, in reality, we are moving backwards from the effects these vehicles have on our bodies and the environment. The pollution produced by these vehicles has brought us to the day where we must find other modes of transportation that cause less harm to the world in which we live. Advances in technology have developed hybrid vehicles to try and slow down the amount of pollution. Driving a hybrid vehicle, instead of a conventional gas powered vehicle, can reduce the amount of pollution that affects our lives and the environment around us.
Transportation is the movement of people and goods from origin point to destination point and there are five modes of transport including air, road, rail, sea and pipeline. But transport activities have resulted in growing levels of motorization and congestion. In fact, transportation sector faced challenges of environment due to it increasingly linked to environment problem. The most important impacts of transport on the environment relate to climate change, air quality, noise, water quality, soil quality, biodiversity and land take.
Global warming occurs when greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and other pollutants collect in the atmosphere and absorb solar radiation that has reflected off the Earth’s surface. This leads to what is most commonly known as the greenhouse effect, as well as radiative forcing. In the United States, the burning of fossil fuels for electricity accounts for most of the heat trapping pollution in our atmosphere, creating nearly two billion tons of carbon dioxide each year. The second largest source of heat trapping pollution is caused by modes transportation such as automobiles, creating nearly 1.7 billion tons of emissions per year. In an attempt to reduce the amount of pollution caused by vehicle emissions, cities such as Chicago, Illinois require emissions testing before license plates can be renewed. With the global population growing, the demand for energy is growing as well. We can expect to see an increase in pollution unless action is taken to reduce it (MacMillan,
The seriousness of global warming effects both the environment and the people living in it. The question is how do Americans effect the environment and what can we do to fix it? Americans everyday use automobiles as a form of transportation, and although it may seem harmless, the use of these cars are proving to be detrimental in the end. Author Margaret Kriz (2006) states that, “the vast majority of scientists who study Earth's climate agree that the planet is warming, and they blame the greenhouse gases that accumulate in the a...
Rail transportation is a transportation in which for movement of people and goods which from one location to another destination. Rail had been takes the important role in physical and economic development of town and cities in a country and it was developed over the world. Rail transport can be made a property value in a country increase and it must be needs improvement in transportation network expanding (Goldberg, 1970). Thus, the railway services need to be done with continuous improvement and it is important to the rail passengers of the range and quality of facilities and service on stations and trains (Gleave, S. D., 2000). The future development to a public transportation is a key to affect
The development of urban transportation has not changed with the cities; cities have changed with transportation. This chapter offers an insight into the Past and the future of Urban transportation and is split up into a number of different sections. It includes a timeline of the different forms of transport innovations, starting from the earliest stages of urban transport, dating back to the omnibus (the first type of urban transportation) and working in a chronological order until eventually reaching the automobile. However, these changes in Urban transport did not happen for no reason. Different factors within society meant urban transport needed to evolve; points will be made on why society needed this evolution. In contrast I will observe the problems urban transport has caused in society as a result of its rapid progression. Taking account of both arguments for the evolution of urban transport, I will look at where it will go in the future.