Abstract
Different modes of transportation emit various amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. In today's world, where global warming is an issue, the way people choose to travel makes a difference. This paper contains the calculation of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system's carbon footprint and compares it to the carbon footprint of cars traveling the same distance. The results of this calculation will hopefully cause the average commuter to reconsider his or her form of transportation.
Introduction
About BART
Every day of the week, thousands of people living in the Bay Area take advantage of the BART system. This system comprises of 104 miles of track and 43 stations, including underground tunnels and passageways (1). Also, the trains run at a swift 80 miles per hour on electric currents, bringing about fast and efficient commuting (1). The amount of passengers riding BART continues to increase. However, others decide to use alternative transports, such as driving.
The Investigation
It is important to be aware of the effects different modes of transportation have on our environment. As global warming becomes a problem facing the current world, the monitoring of greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere is necessary. One way in doing such an analysis is through calculating a carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is a calculation of the total amount of CO2 derived from a source. This amount depends on the type of energy the source used (i.e. coal, gas, nuclear, etc.), how much of that energy source is used, and how long the source runs. These carbon footprint calculations are used by industries and people to plan and decrease their effect on global warming.
In this case, the transportation system of BA...
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...itigated the amount of CO2 used by BART.
In addition, BART is continually seeking to reduce greenhouse gases and be a part of the climate change solution (1). Efforts to expand the system and use alternative sources of energy have been prioritized.
Commuters who use public transportation have a smaller carbon footprint than commuters who drive separate cars. Although BART needs a large amount of energy to operate, it is overall an environmentally healthier transportation than vehicles. In fact, a worker who uses BART saves more 400,000 metric tons of CO2 than a worker who drives to work (1). To a great extent, BART is a greener system than a car.
References
1. BART's official website www.bart.gov/
2. Carbon calculator http://zerofootprint.net/calculators
3. Carbon Footprint of Electricity Generation http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/postpn268.pdf
Rather than worry too much about emissions, we should accept the world is going to get warmer anyway and adapt to global warming by building better flood defenses and developing drought resistant crops.
...s per gallon. Carpooling also saves fuel not to mention your wallet. If you have empty seats in your vehicle, carpool with co-workers and alternate who drives and who pays for gas.
One starting point to reducing the amount of greenhouse gases that you release is to find your carbon footprint. The carbon
In today's day and age, an increasing urgency must be put on the issue of transportation and its relation to society. Man owes it to himself to address the issue of transportation with practicality and, as one of the biggest polluters, ultimate discretion. One of the most practical and responsible forms of transportation available today is mass transit. However, a problem is present in American society in that mass transit is not as plentiful as it should be. Societies' across the globe are embracing mass transit much more quickly than Americans are. This problem can be remedied through proper education of the benefits of mass transit. Mass transit is the ideal future of travel for several reasons. Of note: “mass transit costs less to the community, needs less urban space, is less energy-intensive, pollutes less, is the safest mode, improves accessibility to jobs, and offers mobility for all” (1). Mass transit is also a highly flexible mode of transportation, with many different methods of travel available. Of note for these: metros, buses, carpooling, light rail, and waterborne transports. Proponents of mass transit claim it will find solutions to problems concerning the economy, the environment, and the energy crisis, as well as improving overall quality of life (2). Each of these ideas will be examined more in-depth.
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.
... reduce natural gas consumption. Long-term I am committed to installing new energy efficient windows to truly reduce energy consumption. To help reduce the family’s water consumption we recently installed an energy efficient washing machine that uses over 60% less water than the previous model that was installed. As an additional means in which to help conserve water I will be installing a rain barrel in the summer to water our outdoor plants. While these actions might not seem significant, they can make a significant difference. According to Energy Star, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, if every home in America replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an Energy Star qualified CFL, in just one year it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes. That would prevent the release of greenhouse gas emissions equal to that of about 800,000 cars.
Carbon footprint can be defined as the amount of greenhouse gases an individual produces at a time through diverse activities. A person’s carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), which were induced by an individual’s daily activities for a given time frame. CO2 is one of the many greenhouse gases that are responsible for causing global warming which we are currently experiencing today. Carbon footprint is an extremely powerful tool which we can utilize to understand the impact that our personal activities have on global warming.
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.
Over the past decades, automobile production and highway construction have multiplied, while urban mass transit systems have been dismantled or allowed to fall into disrepair. The end result has meant more pollution, traffic congestion, wasted energy, urban sprawl, residential segregation, and social disruption.
Both of the two auto vehicles are brought into the human industry as the use of benefit students’ lives become more convenient traveler. In commons, the two automobile created opportunities jobs in the economic companies’ nation. Plus, several students did not noticed that both cars and public transportation have one major similar concept where two of the transit vehicle produce environmental pollution, traffic congestion, and oil consumption problems. Encounter, the public transportation and cars can cause a huge impact to the environmental which it can lead human health problems. Mostly, both of the automobile still release noxious gases into the air, and over time the built up can change the environment global warming to like an unhealthy
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...
BART is a fast modern rail transit system, with 34 stations and 75 miles of track, serving the counti...
We all use vehicles for transportation. People usually go to their desired destination either by driving their own cars or traveling in public transportation. Actually, it might be tough to choose that which one is the best selection for people to travel. Many people choose one of them according to their comfort while traveling and both of them have advantages and disadvantages in different conditions. Public transportation and driving own car both shares differences and similarities in many aspects, such as facility, cost, and comfort as well as traffic jam and accident occurrence.
Since the invention of the automobile, we have been able to decrease transportation costs, travel vast distances and decrease travel times. We are able to facilitate relationships, foster trade between places, and find better jobs. However, due to the inaccurate pricing of the roads, driving cars has turned from an innovation to pure frustration. The problem is traffic congestion; the increased usage of cars has created slower speeds and longer travel times due to greater demand for the road than the road has to offer. Roughly 3.4 million Americans endure extreme commutes, in which the trip to work and back eats up at least three hours each day (Balaker, Staley 2006).
Human activities add to the levels of these gasses, causing more problems. “Automobiles, heat from homes and businesses, and factories are responsible for about 80% of today's carbon dioxide emissions, 25% of methane emissions, and 20% of the nitrous oxide emissions.” (3) The increase in agriculture, deforestation, landfills, industrial production, and mining contribute a significant share of emissions also. These gases that are released into the atmosphere are tracked by emission inventories. An emission inventory counts the amount of air pollutants discharged into the atmosphere. These inventories are important in studying the affects of global warming on the Earth.