Elijah Hendrickson

Professor Gunner

FIQWS 10011

03 December 2024

 

  Best Eco-Friendly Transport 

 

When we got tired of walking, we found ways to get around faster and more easily. First, we used animals, and as we evolved during the Industrial Revolution, we gained access to automobiles, steamboats, and trains. At first, we relied on coal as an energy source, but then we moved on to gasoline and diesel. As we did, our carbon emissions skyrocketed, and global warming has become a bigger problem as the years go on. First, we focused on finding the fastest mode of transportation, but now it’s time to see which mode is the most eco-friendly, how much CO2 emissions they release, and come up with creative ways to reduce them.

Let’s start with the winner of the fastest mode of transportation: trains! Trains are the most used form of transportation in New York, so let’s see how eco-friendly they are. According to (Our World in Data), walking, cycling, and taking the train are the top three modes of transportation with the lowest carbon footprint. Our World in Data even has a graph that shows the carbon footprint for various types of travel, ranging from the Eurostar at 4g of CO2 to 246g. Although trains aren’t shown on this specific graph, we’re told their emissions are significantly lower in comparison. For instance, trains emit 86% less carbon than domestic flights, which comes out to around 34g of CO2 per passenger kilometer. They also state that taking a train instead of a car can save up to 80% of emissions. A diesel or petrol-based car produces about 51g, but if we’re talking about an electric car, that number drops to just 14g.

Even though trains have a pretty low emission score, that doesn’t mean we’ve found the most eco-friendly mode of transportation yet. With more information, it turns out we can save even more with EV cars, according to my second source. On average, a train emits about 41g of CO2 per passenger kilometer, but the emissions for cars can vary. If multiple people carpool in an EV, emissions can drop significantly—down to 13.25g per person if four people share the ride. So, while trains are still looking like a strong candidate, let’s keep digging.

Now, let’s move on to passenger vehicles, which include all types of cars—traditional and electric. On average, passenger vehicles emit a hefty 400g of CO2 per mile, with an annual total of around 4.6 metric tons of CO2 per vehicle. And that’s not all—cars also emit other greenhouse gases like methane, nitrous oxide, and hydrofluorocarbons. These gases might not be as abundant as CO2, but they have a much higher global warming potential.

With cars emitting metric tons of CO2 every year, they’re definitely not looking good in the race for the most eco-friendly transportation. Even on their worst day, trains only emit a fraction of what diesel and gasoline-based cars do. But here’s where things get interesting: EV cars, which are supposed to be better for the environment, have a hidden issue. Their air conditioners leak hydrofluorocarbons—a greenhouse gas with a way higher global warming potential than CO2. So, even though EVs emit less CO2 overall, they’ve got their own set of problems.

Lastly, let’s talk about commercial airlines and their CO2 emissions. Spoiler alert: they’re the worst of the bunch. Aviation is responsible for 2.5% of global CO2 emissions. In 2023 alone, aviation contributed to 37.4 billion tonnes of CO2. Even worse, aviation accounts for about 4% of the total impact on global warming. The only good thing about planes is how fast they can take you long distances, but that’s about it.

After comparing trains, cars, and planes, the winner is clear: trains! Again!! If we really want to cut down on carbon emissions, we need to expand our railway networks and focus on making trains faster and more accessible. The more we rely on trains, the less we’ll need to use cars and planes to get around. Increasing the use of railways is the best way to reduce our carbon footprint and combat climate change

 

Works Cited

“Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Typical Passenger Vehicle | US EPA.” Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 23 August 2024, https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/greenhouse-gas-emissions-typical-passenger-vehicle.  Accessed 3 December 2024.

Ritchie, Hannah. “What share of global CO₂ emissions come from aviation?” Our World in Data, 8 April 2024, https://ourworldindata.org/global-aviation-emissions.  Accessed 3 December 2024.

Hannah Ritchie (2023) – “Which form of transport has the smallest carbon footprint?” Published online at OurWorldinData.org. Retrieved from: ‘https://ourworldindata.org/travel-carbon-footprint‘  [Online Resource]

 

26, B. A. M. (2023, May 26). Train vs car: What are their carbon footprints?. Greenly. https://greenly.earth/en-us/blog/company-guide/train-vs-car-what-are-their-carbon-footprints