Going ever further

Since the dawn of time, humans have searched for ways to explore and conquer. Is this the source of their misfortunes ? Indeed ! asserts Blaise Pascal, a famous 17th century philosopher « Man doesn't know how to stay at peace in a room ». Yet, transportation is synonymous with great liberty. It plays a fundamental role.

Road to hell ? Immense costs derive from road transportation, in terms of health, loss of time, climate change and nature degradation. How can we reduce this impact?

Enabling the movement of goods, finances, energy, information, tourists…, it brings men together. Source of progress and of great technical innovations, means of transportation shape our societies, thus drastically changing our ways of life, our landscape and even our climate. Paradoxically, over the past 30 years and more, time spent travelling has kept a constant rate estimated at 1,1 hour per person and per day worldwide. A fact that hides profound disparities. Rich and poor countries don't move at the same pace. While 80% of the people don't have a car and travel by bicycle, by bus, by cart or on foot, the number of vehicles on the road today has reached a triumphant 700 millions, ten times more than in 1950. Cars alone represent 53% of global mobility, far ahead buses (29%), trains (9%) and high speed means of transportation (plane, high-speed trains, 9%). The road supremacy is complete : it represents 82 % of global mobility.

Local pollution and greenhouse effect

What will happen when every single person on earth will have their own car ? Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen oxide and Hydrocarbons emissions from cars already account for 80% of air pollution. The hidden costs are immense : locally, these

alternative transportation Cities today need alternative and cleaner means of transportation. Bicycle, buses, tramways, trains are alternatives to individual cars. (c) Freefoto - Ian Britton

gases alter health, buildings and nature. Numerous cities are asphyxiated by car exhausts. According to the World Health Organisation, this pollution causes 500,000 deaths and an additional 4.5 million cases of chronic bronchitis every year, without even mentioning costs associated to car crashes, noise pollution, traffic jams and division of natural spaces. On a global level now, scientists warn that the accumulation of greenhouse gases play a role in climate change. Transportation does not only raises problems in terms of air pollution. Depletion of energy resources is also in question. The amount of oil consumed by means of transportation keeps on increasing every four years, while the reserves of this non-renewable fossil fuel is running out.

Economic distortions

In fact, the price that one pay for a car doesn't include numerous costs that are finally paid by society in terms of health, time, space, climate change, and impact on nature... Yet, altogether, such costs can represent up to 5% of the gross national product of an industrial country. The best way to manage this economic distortion would be to apply the polluter pay principle. The public interests are obvious, but private ones (individuals or companies) are such that it is difficult to lower the car supremacy. Yet, solutions exist. Some cities already took measures in that direction. London, for example, established an 8 euros toll for every car entering the city centre. A world initiative which is considered to be a good answer to traffic congestion and air pollution. The aim in the long run is to reduce car traffic by 5 to 10% to encourage public transportation. As a comparison, 1 tramway or 3 buses can substitute to 200 cars. But this is not enough : to be attractive, public transport networks must serve towns, regions and countries with efficiency, safety and comfort. Truck transportation by train (« rolling highways »), carpooling systems, or home-based work are other possible ways to reduce the road cost. All initiatives, to be efficient, need a coherent national and regional transportation policy (for goods and persons) with a global view on a long run. But more than anything else, they need a mental revolution. Nurtured by advertisement, the dream of owning a car is based on a subconscious message: « I drive, therefore I am ». Change will only be possible if we can reconsider our own way of life…

Technologies for the future

The main challenge for transportation is probably to reduce gaseous pollution.

Cleaner technologies exit This bus of the city of Grenoble, France, is using bio gas. It results in less air pollution, and less greenhouse gases emissions.

Cleaner technologies already exist. For instance, less polluting fuel such as ethanol (stemming from beet, sugar or ether of colza) or high pressure direct injection systems should help reducing gasoline consumption. Moreover hybrid vehicles "electric-thermic" engines provide another alternative already development in Japan: built with two engines, (an internal combustion engine and an electric one), they are designed for both urban and road driving. But the real solution may come from the fuel cell, already used in space. With hydrogen as fuel, the only by-product is… steam. The advantage : zero pollution. The inconvenience : hydrogen and oxygen still poses storage and safety problems. Such technologies don't apply to cars only. Projects for the future are already emerging : the flying wing which should be geared up by 2020 will transport 1000 people by air and use 30% less fuel. On sea, the energy-efficient flying ship will « fly » on the water surface at 500km per hour… Enjoy your transportation !

Did you know it ?

2 years, is the time spent in traffic by a European throughout his life (MEDD)

150 days, is the number of major smog days registered per year in Los Angeles. (MEDD)

3/4 of city noise is due to motor vehicles (INSERM)

800 km/h is the speed of a Boeing747, 360km/h the speed of the new generation of French high speed trains (TGV), 80km/h is the speed of the metro, 15km/h is your speed on a bicycle, 4km/h your speed as you walk. (UITP)

34km is the average daily distance covered by an European, 2/3rd of which by car. An American will cover 70km/day, as an African will cover 8km/day (INRETS)

A Smart emits 120 grams of CO2 per kilometre as a Ferrari emits 570g/km. (Libération, August 2002)

1804 : first steam engine. 1890 : gasoline burning motor cars. 1900 : first metro. 1904 : first planes with internal combustion engines. 1950 : first highway networks. 1957 : launching of the first satellite. 1969 : man's first step on moon (Hachette encyclopædia)

Questions for a local project

- What means of transportation are there is my region ?
- Which are most used in my city?
- Find old photographs of the place where I live. Compare.
- How is the air quality ?
- How many road accidents occur erery year where I live ?
- How many kilometres of traffic jam a year ?
- Do I suffer from noise ?
- which are the means of transport I regularly use
- How fast ?
- How many kilometres do I make every year ?
- How much does it cost ?
- Try to identify the hidden costs

Data and resources for projects

Articles


- EU car makers fail to reduce CO2 emissions - source www.euractiv.com (19 April 2006)
- climate change and aviation - source www.euractiv.com (dec. 2005)
- The way we transport people and goods is not sustainable, speech of the Odd Gullberg, Chief Operating Officer of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (june 2005)
- mobility 2030, report of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, available in eng, french, portuguese, german (July 2004)
- Green cars move into top gear - source www.physicsweb.org (July 2002)
- Will Istambul citizens ever arrive home early - YRE article from Ozel Darussafaka Lisesi, turkey (2005)
- Car or cities - YRE article from Portugal, Greece, Turkey (2005)
- H2 BUS - YRE article from Aurélia de Sousa School, Portugal (2004)
- Air pollution in big cities - YRE article from France (2004)
- Cost of road accidents - a report of the World Health Organisation, 2002

Graphs


- Energy consumption in the transport sector - source: European Environmental Agency (2002)

- Greenhouse gases emissions from transport are growing - source: European Environmental Agency (1990-2001)

- Goods transport by road (relative to total by road, rail, inland waterways and pipelines) - source: European Environmental Agency (1995)

- increase in trans-European transport network 1995-2010 - source: European Environmental Agency (1998)

- Biofuel production in Europe - sources: European Environmental Agency (2004)
- Cost of transport - sources: European Environmental Agency (2004)
- modal split in passenger transport